ISDS Case Map
Korea
Militant protesters blocked trucks from leaving warehouses for a second day on Friday as South Korea resumed quarantine checks on US beef imports, moving to bring the product to market for the first time in nine months.
Protests erupt across South Korea with 100 arrests made, potential for clashes at cold storage warehouses increases
South Korea will resume US beef imports from Thursday after securing extra safeguards, officials said, prompting calls for fresh anti-mad cow rallies which have brought thousands on to the streets.
US Senator Max Baucus says there's no scientific proof for Korea's claim that beef from older cattle pose a health risk. Other senators echoed his words adding that the latest moves could bring difficulties to passing the bilateral free trade deal.
"Whenever the negotiations went against us or whenever the US side cited 'science' (to emphasize that US beef is scientifically safe), we pointed to the photo [of the June 10 candlelight vigil in downtown Seoul, with the largest number of protesters] and said, 'Look at this. Do you think this can be explained with science?' "
While the Korean government claims it has made a “better-than-expected achievement” through additional negotiations between South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon and US Trade Representative Susan Schwab over import terms for US beef, it hasn't been enough to defuse public fears over the safety of the American meat.
The South Korean government will put new U.S. beef import terms into effect as early as this week, officials said on Monday, signaling a full resumption of imports, which have been suspended for nearly five years.
South Korea has been seeing nightly mass demonstrations for over a month, a candlelight march of 1 million people on June 10 and a strike wave of key industrial unions. All are connected to a trade agreement between Washington and the current government of President Lee Myung-bak that would allow US beef into the country.
Labor movement will lead candlelight protests for renegotiation of US beef agreement, KCTU says
On June 10th, around one million people and workers gathered to demand renegotiation of US beef import agreement across the country. In case of Seoul, around 500,000 people participated in the candlelight vigil and march.
