ISDS Case Map
Korea
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.
South Korean unions on Tuesday threatened a general strike in protest of a US beef import deal, as negotiators in Washington tried to find a way out of the crisis shaking the Seoul government.
The fear of having other countries steal a march on Washington by signing their own deals may bring Congress back to the bilateral trade negotiating table.
Talks between the United States and South Korea over the resumption of American beef imports ended Sunday without any agreement, US Trade Representative spokeswoman Gretchen Hamel said.
Europe wants to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea by the year's end to further boost bilateral economic ties
Korean middle school student Chae-song Kim asks that the trade agreement be reconsidered
To the rest of the world, South Korean protests over the safety of US beef are portrayed as an expression of simmering anti-Americanism. Without a doubt, anti-American sentiments have historical roots. But Koreans also have a legitimate claim to fear the safety of US beef.
