By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
Cheong Wa Dae has delayed a scheduled courtesy call by new U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Walter L. Sharp on President Lee Myung-bak amid protests against the resumption of U.S. beef imports, a high-ranking source at the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) said Wednesday.
``Gen. Sharp is anxious to meet with President Lee since it is usual for the new USFK commander to pay a courtesy call on the (S. Korean) President before taking up his post in the host nation,'' the source told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. Sharp took command of 28,500 U.S. troops here June 3. He is also in charge of the CFC and the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC).
``Cheong Wa Dae, however, postponed the visit by Sharp, citing domestic political instability due to the U.S. beef dispute,'' he said. ``The commander hopes he will meet with President Lee no later than early July, when U.S. President George W. Bush may visit South Korea.''
The American general was at first upset about the uproar here over the beef deal and worried the issue would ignite anti-American sentiment, the source said. But now Sharp understands what South Koreans are concerned about and expresses hope that the issue will be resolved soon in a wise manner, he added.
CFC officials recently gave an hour-long comprehensive briefing to Sharp on Korea's history, customs, social agenda, political situations and so on to help the U.S. commander understand the country better, according to the source.
The presidential office had cancelled a scheduled visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates earlier this month amid rising protests over the government's decision to open the domestic market to American beef. Gates visited South Korea to attend the change-of-command ceremony for Sharp at that time.
In April, South Korea agreed to resume importing U.S. beef five years after halting it amid concerns over mad cow disease.
Hundreds of thousands of citizens and progressive civic activists protested, resulting in an offer from the Cabinet and senior presidential secretaries to resign earlier this month.
Seoul and Washington are in ``additional'' negotiations over the beef deal aimed at limiting imports to U.S. beef from cattle younger than 30 months old. Older cattle are believed to be more susceptible to mad cow diseases or bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
About 27,000 U.S. forces are stationed here as a deterrent against North Korea, which conducted its first nuclear test in October 2006.