By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Barring calls for renegotiation, South Korea will likely resume U.S. beef inspections starting next week under the newly agreed standards, ending the years-long off-and-on suspension of incoming American meat shipments.
The Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said Monday that Seoul will be ready to apply the new quarantine standards on May 15, concurrently starting sales of U.S. beef in the domestic market.
The revised import sanitation rules signed in Seoul last month allows the United States to export most beef cuts, including ribs, T-bone steak and intestines, of all ages to its once third-largest importer.
The old rules let in boneless beef from cattle younger than 30 months, as animals older than 30 months have a higher risk of contracting mad cow disease.
The ministry said the first release of U.S. beef will begin with the 5,300 tons held in storage since last October, when all quarantine inspections were stopped after a banned substance was found. Fresh imports of the locally popular ``LA galbi'' (ribs) and other parts are expected to start in mid-June.
Although inspected beef products will be ready to reach consumers within this month, domestic retailers aren't certain whether they will aggressively promote and sell the controversial cuts. Currently, almost all imported beef sold locally comes from Australia and New Zealand.
The common concern is that selling U.S. beef will damage their overall corporate image, as backlash against the government's decision to fully reopen the beef market is mounting to new heights.
Opposition parties and civic groups have demanded that the deal to be scrapped or renegotiated, citing flawed inspection standards as a serious threat to people's health. The new inspection rules will permit bone-in beef and ban X-rays to find bone parts in packages.
Critics also point out the weak control Seoul has over monitoring the processing facilities, as any facility there that meets U.S. standards will be allowed to ship beef to South Korea after an initial 90-day grace period.
Another concern is that foreign cattle raised in the United States for at least 100 days can enter Seoul without special inspections, which can lead to loopholes in quality control measures.
Despite public calls, South Korea, once it resumes inspection and imports, will not be able to make suspensions even if a suspected mad cow case is reported, according to the revised rules.
The only time a ban can be imposed is if the United States loses its current World Organization for Animal Health status, or fails to meet key criteria set by the organization.