Korea-U.S. FTA

Resolution of the Beef Controversy?

Negotiations

On Friday the 13th the Korean Trade Minister, Kim Jong-Hoon, arrived in Washington for negotiations with Susan Schwab, the US Trade Representative.  The initial negotiations took place on Friday and Saturday.  Twice Kim threatened to walkout and return to Korea.  However, the negotiations stretched out for almost a week, finally ending on the 19th. Here's a combination of a profile of Kim with a discussion of the negotiations: Man of Adroit Brinkmanship (Jane Han, The Korea Times, June 22)

The Week's Beef News From Korea

On Monday, the Lee Administration decided to delay the planned reopening of beef imports from the U.S. that had been scheduled for Tuesday: New Delay on Beef Imports (and Renegotiation?) (Korea-U.S. FTA, June 2).  The Dong-A Ilbo describes some of the background discussions within the Lee Administration: The Story Behind the New U.S. Beef Measure (June 4).

New Insights on Korean Beef Controversy and FTA

The latest issue of the Korea Economic Institute's Korea Insight has two short issues on the beef and FTA debates in Korea: (a) Troy Stangarone describes A Firestorm in Korea Over U.S. Beef, while James Lister and Stangarone provide an FTA Update. Short, readable, summaries of recent events. Some interesting points:

New Delay on Beef Imports (and Renegotiation?)

The Lee Administration has decided to delay the resumption of U.S. beef imports (South Korea to delay renewed US beef imports, Kwang-Tae Kim, AP, June 2) and to approach the U.S. to renegotiate elements of the agreement to reopen its market (South Korea asks US to change beef import agreement, AP via the International Herald Tribune, June 3).  These actions follow large demonstrations over the weekend.

Government moves to permit U.S. beef exports

On Thursday (in Seoul) the government announced plans to allow imports of beef from the U.S.: Beef Import Decision Triggers Protests (Michael Ha, Park Si-soo, The Korea Times, May 29).  The announcement was made in a nationally televised address by the Agriculture Minister:

Chronology of the beef dispute

TradingMarkets.com provides a useful Chronology of major events in S. Korea-U.S. beef talks (May 30). This covers events from the announcement in 2003 that a Washington State cow had mad cow disease, to this Thursday's announcement by the Agriculture Minister that the government intended to permit beef imports from the U.S. to resume.

No Resolution on Beef; No Movement on FTA

Moon Ihlwan thinks much of the current controversy is due to poor communications by the new Lee Administration: Could Korean Leader Learn from Controversies over U.S. Beef Imports? (Eye on Asia, Business Week, May 15).

The On-going Beef Controversy

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez visited Korea on Friday and offered assurances about the quality of U.S. beef (U.S. Assures Korea About Beef Safety, Evan Ramstad, Wall Street Journal, May 17):

Korea Delays Resumption of U.S. Beef Imports

The Lee Administration was supposed to open the way for a resumption of imports of U.S. beef by the publication of new sanitary standards last Thursday (May 15), but - because of the "mad cow" controversy - has postponed publication for a week or so: SKorea to delay planned resumption of US beef imports (AFP):

Korea Debates the Beef Agreement

The Korean agreement to reopen its market to U.S. beef has led to considerable concern about the potential for mad cow disease - especially following media reports that Koreans are genetically more susceptible to it than Americans: U.S. beef jitters grip South Korea (Lee Jong-Heon, UPI AsiaOnline, May 2).

Kang Ki-kab, National Assemblyman and member of the leftish Democratic Labor Party, has been touring the country to drum up opposition to the beef agreement and the trade agreement.  Here's his profile: 'Peasant legislator' fights against U.S. beef imports (Shin Hae-in, Yonhap News, May 2, 2008).

A parliamentary committee has agreed to hold a hearing on the beef agreement in May: Parliamentary committee to hold hearing on U.S. beef deal (The Hankyoreh, April 29)

The Lee Administration is making its own case: Lee Seeks to Quell Mad-Cow Scaremongers (Jung Sung-ki, The Korea Times, May 2, 2008):

President Lee Myung-bak expressed concern Friday that the U.S. beef safety issue was being politicized by the opposition parties and progressive civic groups amid whirling rumors among the public about the dangers of mad cow disease.

Lee directed his Cabinet ministers to come up with comprehensive measures to publicize the truth and myths about the safety of American beef, presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said....