High on the agenda during Bush's visit to South Korea was the quality and safety of US beef, which has sparked protests in the country.
Al Jazeera's Mike Kirsch travelled to the heart of the US beef industry, in the state of Nebraska, to investigate the legitimacy of the concerns.
------------
This is the reason why South Korean protests against to importing US Beef for long time.High on the agenda during Bush's visit to South Korea was the quality and safety of US... more
Over 20,000 religious followers and citizens assembled in front of Seoul City Hall to start the "Emergency gathering of political situation and Mass of proclaiming citizen dignity and urging repentance of the president's arrogance."
(Video Clip from CBS [Christian Broadcasting System of South Korea] Nocut News)
....
Yesterday in Seoul, Koreans' Candles got new life. Non-Violence protest and progress, It's the reason of Korean hold candles because The republic of Korea (South Korea) is established by people power.
6.29 Crash between Riot Police and People. (Euronews No Comment) http://youtube.com/watch?v=aGCqG08hJ4o "Lord, let there be light upon us."
Over 20,000 religious followers and citizens... more
South Korea's president apologised on Thursday for a U.S. beef import deal that sparked mass street protests against his new government and will sack close aides to try to halt a dramatic slide in public support.
Lee Myung-bak, who eased to victory in a December election with pledges of pro-business reforms and growth for the world's 13th largest economy but now has an approval rating of less than 20 percent, said he wanted to start a new chapter for his four-month-old government.
Analysts said they expect large parts of Lee's reforms, which include privatizing state firms, tax cuts for companies and mortgage relief for low-income households, to be stalled unless he can win back public support.
A parliament in which Lee's conservative Grand National Party holds the majority has yet to begin sitting because of a boycott by the left-of center opposition angered at the beef deal.
Hundreds of the 13,000 striking South Korean truckers, whose protest has paralyzed ports and cost export firms billions of dollars, reached deals with employers and returned to work on Thursday, easing a little pressure on Lee.South Korea's president apologised on Thursday for a U.S. beef import deal that... more
US beef exports to South Korea could be labeled with the age of the cows they came from, as a way to ease concern over the safety of the meat. The Seoul government is reeling from mass protests over a deal to resume US beef imports, but as Al Jazeera's Step Vassen reports, South Koreans fearful of mad cow disease are increasingly turning away from beef altogether.
[Induction & Video Clip from Aljazeera English]
It's not a 'favourite' problem. It's the problem about life. US beef exports to South Korea could be labeled with the age of the cows they came... more
President Lee Myung-bak confronted the biggest challenge to his young and increasingly unpopular administration Tuesday as tens of thousands of demonstrators filled central Seoul to protest his agreement to resume suspended imports of American beef and to denounce a broad range of other government policies.
The country’s entire cabinet offered to resign as a way to help Mr. Lee find a way out of the crisis. It was unclear if he would accept the resignations.
Mr. Lee’s 107-day-old government has been increasingly beset by fears that his agreement to reopen markets to American beef could expose the public to mad cow disease.
or the past 40 days, central Seoul has been rocked by demonstrations , which began as rallies by hundreds of teenage students, singing, dancing and holding candles to protest the importing of American beef. They have now evolved into a protest against government policies on education, health care and consumer prices.
Once hailed as a potential savior of South Korea’s troubled economy, Mr. Lee has lost public confidence in his leadership over a broad range of policies at a time South Korea is grappling with a slowing economy and a prolonged crisis over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs, political analysts said.
"Lee Myung Bak, OUT!" the protesters chanted, brandishing yellow and red cards carrying the same message.
The rally almost had a mood of festivity, with the city center reverberating with anti-government slogans and people dancing to the tune of songs blared from loudspeakers.
Overhead, large balloons carried banners that read “Judgement day for Lee Myung Bak" and "Re-negotiate the beef deal." One widely distributed leaflet said: “Mad cow drives our people mad!”President Lee Myung-bak confronted the biggest challenge to his young and increasingly... more
By CHOE SANG-HUN
Published: June 11, 2008
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s entire cabinet offered to resign on Tuesday and tens of thousands of people filled boulevards in central Seoul in the largest demonstration to be held against President Lee Myung-bak and his young but increasingly unpopular government.
The cabinet’s offer to resign came as Mr. Lee struggled to find a breakthrough in the biggest political crisis to face his 107-day-old government, one set off by fears that an agreement to reopen markets to American beef could expose the public to mad cow disease.
For the past 40 days, central Seoul has been rocked daily by demonstrations. What had started as a rally by hundreds of teenage students, singing, dancing and holding candles to protest the importing of American beef, has evolved into a broad protest against government policies on education, health care and consumer prices.
Once hailed as a potential savior of South Korea’s troubled economy, Mr. Lee has lost public confidence in his leadership over a broad range of policies at a time South Korea is grappling with a slowing economy and a prolonged crisis over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs, political analysts said.
"Lee Myung Bak, OUT!" the protesters chanted, brandishing yellow and red cards carrying the same message.
The rally almost had a mood of festivity, with the city center reverberating with anti-government slogans and people dancing to the tune of songs blared from loudspeakers.
Overhead, large balloons carried banners that read “Judgement day for Lee Myung Bak" and "Re-negotiate the beef deal." One widely distributed leaflet said: “Mad cow drives our people mad!”
The protesters appeared to encompass a broad spectrum of South Korean society: teenage students, union members, Roman Catholic nuns, office workers in neckties and mothers and fathers holding hands with small children.
...
Also on Tuesday, thousands of conservative activists supporting the beef and free trade deals with the United States staged a rival protest in a plaza in the center of Seoul. But their rally was eclipsed by the much bigger rally by anti-government protesters.
Mr. Lee’s blunders in appointing people with doubtful ethical standards to his presidential staff only compounded his troubles. He himself was dogged by allegations of corruption during the election campaign, but voters largely overlooked the claims, betting instead that Mr. Lee, a successful business chief executive, would be able to revive the economy.
But his current trouble shows that South Koreans’ patience was wearing thin.
"South Koreans had a lot of doubt when they elected Lee, but they hoped he would save the economy," said Choi Jin, director of the Institute of Presidential Leadership. "But this doubt deepened when Lee failed to demonstrate any immediate improvement of the economy. The beef debacle was the trigger to explode the undercurrent of doubt."
But both Mr. Kang and Mr. Choi said the current demonstrations were not anti-American but rather protests against Mr. Lee’s performance. Many of the demonstrators said they supported a free trade deal with the United States. By CHOE SANG-HUN
Published: June 11, 2008
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s... more
South Korea's entire Cabinet offered to resign Tuesday following a public uproar over the planned resumption of U.S. beef imports, despite concerns of mad cow disease.
Question: Why are they afraid US beef will give them mad-cow disease with all the restrictions in place since 1997 on feeding materials? South Korea's entire Cabinet offered to resign Tuesday following a public uproar over... more
Police clashed with elements of a crowd estimated at nearly 40,000 who protested into early Sunday in downtown Seoul against South Korean government plans to import U.S. beef.
Water cannons were fired at some of the protesters who were blocked by police buses from a road leading to the presidential Blue House, prompting angry reaction from demonstrators.
...
The Article from AP (from International Herald Tribune)
Video Cilp from The Hankyoreh Police clashed with elements of a crowd estimated at nearly 40,000 who protested into... more
For anti-FTA, US beef, and Lee Myung-bak(The President of Rep. Of Korea ) protestors in Korea, the image of a young girl wielding a lit candle has become a chief unifying symbol. Even more than the images of cross-eyed, American cows, the vampiric visage of President Lee devouring a bloody steak, and the "Lee Myung-bak OUT!" signs, Candle Girl represents an underlying theme of the recent demonstrations: a search for light at the end of what is hoped to be a very truncated tunnel...
The Article from OhmyNews International
Photo from AFP
South Koreans spooked by fears of mad cow disease took to the streets again Monday night to protest a beef import deal with the United States.
A crowd estimated by police at 3,000 marched through central Seoul after holding a candlelight vigil at a popular gathering spot. They demand the government renegotiate the agreement, which critics say does not protect the country from beef infected with mad cow disease.
...
(From The Canadian Press)South Koreans spooked by fears of mad cow disease took to the streets again Monday... more
South Korea lifted its ban on US beef imports Thursday despite mounting protests sparked by fears of mad cow disease as it struggles to ratify a sweeping free trade deal with the world's biggest economy.
...
Agriculture Minister (REP. Of Korea) Chung Woon-Chun said ... "The government has fixed new sanitary conditions for importing beef," Chung said in a speech covered live on television. "The government will prioritise public health and safety in carrying out its policies."
...
"Today will go into history as a national humiliation day when the country sold out its rights to protect public health," said Cha Young, the spokeswoman for the main opposition United Democratic Party.
...
the article from AFP (29,May)
Video Clip from Reuters (26, May)South Korea lifted its ban on US beef imports Thursday despite mounting protests... more
