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(LEAD) S. Koreans continue candlelight vigils despite tougher restrictions on U.S. beef
SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- Thousands of South Koreans held candlelight vigils nationwide on Tuesday demanding a complete renegotiation of the country's beef deal with the United States, despite the government's announcement that it will ban beef imports from older U.S. cattle.
The rallies came after Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun announced earlier in the day that Seoul has asked Washington not to export meat from cattle aged 30 months or older.
Referring to the announcement, the People's Association for Measures Against Mad Cow Disease said in a statement, "We strongly point out the agricultural minister's announcement today was just a deceptive stopgap measure to temporarily avoid public resistance."
Bowing to public pressure, Seoul delayed its resumption of U.S. beef imports, previously set for Tuesday, until an additional agreement is struck with Washington. The original agreement signed in April was to fully lift the age limit on U.S. beef.
"Because the public is most concerned about meat from cattle over 30 months old, we have asked the United States not to export that kind," Chung said in a press conference.
Still, protestors said the government compromise fell far short of their demands.
"All Koreans have become Ph.D.s in mad cow disease over the past month, and the government cannot persuade the people with only this," said Jang Dae-hyun, a spokesman for the civic group that organizes the vigils.
Koreans also are also concerned that even the proposed ban on older cattle might be temporary, he said.
In their proposed guidelines, civic groups and experts call on the government to allow only boneless beef from cattle younger than 20 months old, a quarantine regulation imposed by Japan.
Meanwhile, the top U.S. envoy in Seoul ruled out the possibility of a renegotiation.
"We have said many times, we don't see any need for renegotiation of the agreement since it is based on science," Ambassador Alexander Vershbow told reporters after his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan.
More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition asking the Constitutional Court to nullify Seoul's planned resumption of U.S. beef imports.
It was sensitive timing in Korea, ahead of the sixth anniversary next week of the deaths of two middle school girls killed by a U.S. armored vehicle in 2002. Koreans then held massive protests with candles, leading U.S. President George W. Bush to express regret. Their candlelight vigils have since became a popular method of peaceful protest in the country.
South Korea fully opened its beef market in 2001 as part of the Uruguay Round agricultural agreement, but the doors were shut in late 2003 when the U.S. reported its first case of mad cow disease. Before the ban, Korea was among the three largest importers of U.S. beef, along with Japan and Mexico.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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