Where Is the beef?

By Jason Lim

At the risk of dating myself, one of the most memorable TV commercials of my youth was the classic ``Where is the beef?" commercial for Wendy's. It starred a cantankerous but likeable old lady who would continuously yell out, ``Where is the beef?" in an outraged voice when she and her two friends are served a hamburger with a huge bun but a tiny patty.

``It sure is a big bun" one of them says, looking at the hamburger dubiously. ``A big, fluffy bun," another agrees, nodding hopefully. But the truth of the situation rudely interrupts when the star of the commercial yells out, ``Where is the beef?" with an insistent voice that got to the point of the matter and would not be fooled by the size of the bun.

The commercial was so successful that it briefly became a pop-cultural phenomenon that vaulted Wendy's into the level of popular consciousness reserved only for McDonald's and Burger King.

The signature phrase, ``Where is the beef?" was even co-opted by Walter Mondale in his debates against Gary Hart during the democratic primary campaign of 1984. It was perfect for a political debate because ``Where is the beef?" is usually used as a figurative catchphrase to question the substance and credibility of an idea or issue.

I am reminded of this long-ago commercial as I watch the two-month long daily protests that began as a protest against the full resumption of American beef.

On the surface, it's an awesome sight to behold: tens of thousands of people ― representing the full spectrum of sociocultural diversity of Korea ― all holding flickering candles into the night sky, swaying and singing to the anti-government chants or songs, largely peaceful. Where else can you see Catholic nuns, Protestant ministers, and Buddhist monks coming together for a common cause? How else will you witness the power of the people humble the top leaders of a newly elected government to publicly apologize and do everything within their power to satisfy their demands?

But as awesome as the sea of the candlelight flowing through streets of Seoul may be, it also reminds me of the huge, fluffy bun of Wendy's commercial, because when I lift up the buns to peer underneath, I find myself asking, ``Where is the beef?" to the leaders of the candlelight protests. And I ask that question both figuratively and literally.

Figuratively, I am asking, ``What is the substance of your goal?" Is it, as they state, to safeguard the health and safety of the Korean public against the real dangers of the mad cow disease that may be lurking inside American beef? But by all credible scientific accounts, the risk of contracting mad cow disease from American beef is miniscule. So, what are the protests really about, if not about American beef?

Granted, the protesters have announced several points that the government has to agree with in order for them to call off the protests. However, these points sound more like a wish list designed for domestic partisan political consumption rather than a comprehensive strategic vision for the future of Korea, especially considering Korea's precarious position in today's global economic and political context. To be taken seriously, you have to provide an alternative policy roadmap and not just offer criticisms and unrealistic to-do list. Furthermore, do the leaders of the protests have the mandate of the people of Korea strong enough to overturn the policies of a democratically elected president, or just the support of the vocal few still driven by whatever demons of the past?

Which leads me to once again question, ``Where is the beef?" ― literally.

This is much easier to answer. By all accounts, American beef is finding its way into the stomachs of Korean consumers rather quickly, flying off the shelves as soon as they are stocked. People have been driving long distances to buy American beef. A Korea Times article cites that two tons of American beef have been sold through two butcher shops since July 1. From these numbers, it looks like that the Korean people are voting with their stomachs and stating quite clearly where the political mandate lay.

The spirit of democracy evident in these protests is quite inspirational. But the spirit of democracy cannot long survive in the absence of the discipline of truth. As no less than an authority as Gandhi has said, ``It is because we have at the present moment everybody claiming the right of conscience without going through any discipline whatsoever that there is so much untruth being delivered to a bewildered world."

It is time for the Korean people to make a disciplined choice, wisely and based on the truth, as they have so courageously done in the past. It's time for them to finally ask, ``Where is the beef?"

Jason Lim is a 2007-2008 fellow at Harvard Korea Institute. He can be reached at jasonlim@post.harvard.edu.