Protest Against US Beef

By Lee Ji-young

Watching the daily protest against U.S beef imports and the Lee Myung-bak government, I am a bit concerned about its possible impact on Korea's international image and its economic ties with the U.S.

In addition, I am awfully concerned about how foreigners might interpret this phenomenon. If these rallies are reported on CNN, it could possibly create negative impressions of Koreans worldwide.

Looking at this issue from a neutral standpoint, I would say that the following three parties are to blame:

The Korean President who hastily signed a beef import agreement and removed all restrictions.

Aggressive protesters and the media that are overreacting to mad cow disease.

The American government that has refused to renegotiate the beef deal under any circumstance.

President Lee's policies and leadership style seem to be callous and fairly biased. As a former CEO of a big corporation, he seems to care more about people with status and money, and does not really act in the best interests of the general public.

Lee is under criticism for his controversial cross-nation canal project even though he has temporarily put this on the backburner as well as dropping his proposal for English immersion classes.

Now he is being slammed for fully opening the beef market along with using excessive police force to disperse demonstrators. He is also being accused of disrespecting people in general.

It is about time that he changed his stubborn stance and listened to what citizens are saying and what they expect from his administration. He was elected by the people and therefore should have the people's best interests in mind.

The rallies are getting out of hand, with demonstrators not just fighting about the mad cow issue, but also in protest against the President in general, demanding he run the country in a way that will benefit them.

A truly good leader is flexible, unbiased and a good listener. It is absolutely crucial that he comes forward and explains in front of the public why he had to sign the beef import agreement, how it is going to benefit Korean consumers and economic ties with the U.S, and how public concerns over mad cow disease are blown out of proportion.

If he deals with these angry crowds in a peaceful, rational and respectful manner, the public will respond the same way.

People are furious right now because he refused to listen to them and has only provoked their anger by using water cannons and mobilizing specially-trained riot police to crack down on demonstrators.

Increasing the police force and disrespecting the citizens is not the way a democratic country should behave. Conflict should always be solved by listening to both sides of the story and coming up with solutions that benefit all.

Hopefully, the president has learned a lesson from the beef row and will in the future try to do what is best for the majority of people by listening to their concerns.

As for the angry protesters, I respect their determination to stand up for their rights regarding food safety. However, the way they have expressed these concerns is inappropriate.

Massive rallies cause traffic congestion, are a waste of police force time and risk possible violence. Aggressive protests can only hurt Korea's image and scare away foreign investors and tourists.

Hyundai cars, LG washing machines and Samsung TVs and cell phones are very popular in the U.S. If Korea wants to expand its market to America, Korea has to open its market to the U.S, too. This is a necessary step in the global market and it will help the Korean economy tremendously.

Having lived in America, I have never met an American who expressed concern about mad cow disease. One media outlet reported Koreans are more genetically susceptible to the disease than people in Western countries.

However, this is just speculation and not based on scientific research. Furthermore, xenophobia is a very negative quality and one that must become a thing of the past.

People write all kinds of rumors and false accusations on the Internet and it is dangerous to believe them. It is about time Koreans used their own judgment rather than blindly believe what other people say in an effort to analyze the pros and cons of an issue.

As far as the American government's attitude goes, I have mixed feelings. I highly appreciate their agreement to provide Korean consumers with low-priced American beef. But there are two things that have angered a lot of Koreans aside from the mad cow issue.

One of them is that they are going to export certain body parts of cattle that are not allowed to be served in school cafeterias in the U.S. Why should Koreans eat body parts of cattle that American students and pets do not even eat?

This makes no sense, especially considering the fact that America is a country that takes food safety very seriously with the well-established Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Another thing that bothers Koreans is the fact America has ruled out any possibility of renegotiation under any circumstances. This makes Koreans even more suspicious, along with the drastically reduced number of cows tested for mad cow disease.

I hope the American government takes food safety for Koreans as seriously as it does for Americans.

I strongly support the Korean government's decision to open the market to U.S beef for the sake of better economic ties. However, it should be done with necessary restrictions for the benefit of consumers.

Korea is one of the most developed countries in Asia and it has accomplished tremendous economic growth in the past few decades.

In order for this country to grow substantially in the future, people really need to change their attitudes, respect foreigners and international trade, and maintain the good image of the country.

The write is an English instructor in Seoul and can be reached at stkate27@gmail.com.