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US beef popular in South Korea despite protests

AFP - Tuesday, August 19

SEOUL (AFP) - - US beef is proving increasingly popular since going back on sale in South Korea despite months of mass protests against the supposed dangers of mad cow disease, officials said Tuesday.

Over the three weeks ending Saturday, Australia shipped 16,200 tonnes, the United States 5,300 tonnes and New Zealand 4,700 tonnes, the National Veterinary and Quarantine Service said.

South Korea was once the world's third-largest market for US beef, with imports worth 850 million dollars a year until they were suspended in 2003 after a US case of mad cow disease.

Seoul's decision in April to resume imports of almost all cuts of US beef sparked months of street protests over supposed health concerns.

The sometimes violent rallies largely subsided only after Seoul secured extra health safeguards for the meat. Sales resumed on July 1.

US exporters have now agreed not to send meat from cattle older than 30 months, which are seen as more at risk of the disease, and the US government will verify the age of the exports.

JoongAng Ilbo newspaper on Tuesday attributed the rapidly growing presence of US beef largely to lower prices.

It said Korean beef sells for between 6,000 won (5.73 dollars) and 7,000 won per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) while Australian beef sells for between 3,000 and 4,000 and US beef at one outlet sells for 1,000 won.

But large stores mostly shun US beef because they are wary of customer reactions.

US beef accounted for up to 60 percent of the South Korean market before 2003.

The protests against beef imports gradually assumed an anti-government tone, and police began taking tougher action to disperse them.

Late Friday and early Saturday they used water cannon and arrested 157 people on charges of staging an illegal demonstration.

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