[louisangelatng]

South Korea: Beef Protest Intensified

The protest against importation of U.S beef has been intensified in South Korea. Since last weekend the protest has been directed against the president Lee Myung Bak and police violence.

Do you think it is reasonable?

Why do they wan to protest?

SEOUL (AFP) - -

South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak is considering reshuffling his cabinet due to a deepening political crisis over a deal to fully open the country's markets to US beef, a report said Sunday.

The report came after violent clashes in the centre of the capital Seoul between riot police and protesters upset over US beef imports, which police said led to at least 11 arrests.

The near-daily protests have shown no sign of abating despite US President George W. Bush's pledge to help ease South Korean concerns over mad cow disease, and have left Lee facing his most serious crisis since taking office.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, quoting an unnamed source in Lee's office, reported that Prime Minister Han Seung-Soo and his cabinet ministers were set to resign en masse over the US beef debacle.

"A collective resignation offer by Prime Minister Han and the cabinet ministers seems imminent," the source told Yonhap, declining to be named.

"President Lee is expected to... replace half a dozen ministers involved in the US beef import deal, including Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan, Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-Chun and Finance Minister Kang Man-Soo."

Lee's office declined to discuss any possible cabinet changes.

Senior presidential aides including chief of staff Yu Woo-Ik and top foreign policy advisor Kim Byong-Kook offered to resign Friday over the beef deal, which has triggered days of mass street protests.

Some 40,000 protesters held a candle-light vigil in downtown Seoul on Saturday, demanding that Lee -- who took office in February -- renegotiate an April deal to resume US beef imports or step down.

The clashes involving thousands of demonstrators and riot police ran into the early hours of Sunday.

An even bigger protest rally is expected in Seoul on Tuesday. The government issued a statement on Sunday warning it would "sternly" deal with violence.

Late last month, South Korea announced the resumption of US beef imports in accordance with the April deal, in order to clear the way for Washington to ratify a broader free trade deal between the countries.

But protesters say the government failed to secure enough safeguards against mad cow disease when it agreed to the deal.

Seoul has sought to ease public anger by delaying the resumption and calling on Washington not to export beef from cattle more than 30 months old, seen as more vulnerable to possible infection.

But Lee has insisted he will not re-negotiate the beef deal, saying such a move could jeopardise the free trade pact with the United States.

On Saturday, Bush promised to help allay South Korean fears over beef imports during a 20-minute phone conversation with Lee, officials said.

The alleged US assurance, however, did little to calm demonstrators and the opposition parties, which continue to boycott parliament in protest.

"No sincerity was felt there," main opposition United Democratic Party chairman Sohn Hak-Kyu told reporters, referring to the Lee-Bush phone talks. "We need a concrete step to renegotiate the deal substantively."

[louisangelatng]

Though in the past US got a few cases of mad cow diseases but its now ensured by US tat their beefs r safe. Or is it becoz they dun like US?

I dun noe.

[Huaikong]

protect their own local beef mkt?the jap oso quite anti us beef....