Assembly panel calls for suspension of US beef inspections

The National Assembly's Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Committee on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling on the Lee Myung-bak government to halt quarantine inspections on U.S. beef following a case of mad cow disease in California.

The resolution signed by both ruling and opposition party lawmakers during a committee meeting urged the Lee administration to immediately suspend quarantine checks for American beef imports, "until the safety of U.S. beef products are ascertained."

It also demanded that the Import Health Requirements for U.S. Beef and Beef Products, signed by Seoul and Washington in 2008, be revised to better ensure safety and health of local consumers of American beef. (Yonhap)