Fazed by mounting public resentment, the government has taken a step back. On June 3, the government asked the United States to ban exports of beef from cattle older than 30 months and says it will delay publishing sanitary conditions for the American meat until the United States responds. Accordingly, the resumption of U.S. beef imports has been postponed and quarantine inspections of shipments of U.S. beef waiting for distribution in South Korea have been put on hold. As Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun said, “The publication delay will continue if no solution is found,” and the government seems like it is following public opinion. It’s fortunate that the government is not trying to win people over by pushing ahead with publication because doing otherwise could result in irreversible consequences.

The only resolution for the beef issue is that the government should scrap the publication and renegotiate the April deal that allows imports of U.S. beef. This is, in part, because the deal was the result of “bad negotiations” that didn’t guarantee the health and safety of South Korean consumers. The deal also failed to protect South Korea’s quarantine sovereignty. In addition, the government still has not clarified certain controversial parts of the deal. More than 80 percent of people have expressed a desire for the government to renegotiate the deal. For now, the government should begin renegotiations with the United States as people want, rather than continuing to try to resolve the beef issue by appearing to wait for the mercy of the United States.

Absolutely, the government must delete what critics have called the “poisonous” Article No. 5 of the quarantine rules for U.S. beef imports. The World Trade Organization says that any country can temporarily halt imports of a product, even without sufficient scientific grounds, as long as the product poses a threat to the people’s health. Nevertheless, Article No. 5 has the South Korean government handing over its right to protect its quarantine sovereignty to the United States. Although the government says it has confirmed its right to suspend imports of U.S. beef if a new case of mad cow disease is found in the United States, the effectiveness of the scheme is in question. If the two nations were to find common ground, there would be no reason to keep the “poisonous” article.

In addition to banning imports of beef from cattle over 30 months, considered at greater risk for mad cow disease, the government should not allow imports of intestines and other special risk materials from cattle under 30 months of age, given the eating patterns of South Korean consumers. Public concerns over these bovine parts are high. While the U.S. government signed the beef deal on the condition it would strengthen its animal feed rules for cattle over 30 months, it actually eased the rules.

If the United States did not properly notify South Korea of this fact during the negotiations, there is reason for renegotiation. Another provision in the rules that bars South Korea from halting quarantine inspections even if special risk materials are discovered, should be changed because it doesn’t make any sense.

There are no agreements that cannot be renegotiated. The agreement should be renegotiated because the original agreement exposed various problems that raised a number of questions. It would also be favorable for the United States to access the South Korean market gradually by first winning the trust of South Korean consumers.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]