U.S. Beef is Safe if SRM is Removed Says Gov’t

The government is refuting a popular misconception over Korea’s resumption of U.S. beef imports.

At a press conference held at the Foreign Ministry, which Agriculture and Forestry Minister Chung Woon-chun and Minister for Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs Kim Soung-yee attended, the government said, “The agreement over the revision of hygienic conditions on U.S. beef imports was made based on international standards and on scientific studies. It is regrettable that the beef’s safety is being questioned by some without solid evidence.”

The government added, “U.S. beef is consumed by many Korean tourists traveling around the U.S., not to mention Americans. There have been no confirmed cases of mad-cow disease since 1997, when the ban on animal feed was imposed in the U.S., and Americans used bone beef soup to make soup broth or steak sauce.”

“Korea will only import U.S. beef processed in slaughterhouses authorized by the Korean government. U.S. federal veterinarians at slaughterhouses will do medical checkups, discern the age during slaughtering and supervise whether ‘Specified Risk Material’ (SRM, which are tissues where the BSE agent can accumulate) has been removed.

“We should not increase social unrest by using politics,” said President Lee Myung-bak said at a regular meeting with ruling Grand National Party leader Kang Jae-sup. “This issue is directly related to people’s lives and the party as well as the government needs to publicize the truth to reassure citizens.”

At the meeting with governors of 16 cities and provinces, President Lee said, “When you look at all the situations, some are undesirable. But it is not the first opening of the beef market. It is only the resumption of beef imports. But some seem to act as if beef imports have never happened before.”

Meanwhile, the Grand National Party argued, “We understand the worries over mad-cow disease. But it is undesirable to make people fear by exaggerating and repeatedly raising the issue. Some in the media and opposition parties are raising people’s doubts like propaganda.

Meanwhile, opposition parties, including the United Democratic Party, said they would consider proposing a special legislation to strengthen quarantine declarations of U.S. beef and a bill to dismiss Minister Chung as well as call for the immediate revision of the recent Korea-U.S. beef agreement.

swon@donga.com swpark@donga.com