hankyoreh

” which was made by citizens participating in a candlelight protest on June 16.

Talks between trade representatives from South Korea and the United States to resolve the issue of U.S. beef imports appeared to be in disarray after South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon decided to make his way home after two rounds of talks on June 13 and 14. He had decided to fly back to Korea via New York on Sunday. He had made the first leg of his trip, but reversed his direction within hours, apparently at the request of the United States, flying instead back to Washington for another round of talks.

On the evening of June 15 (EDT), the South Korean Embassy in Washington said, “Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon and other government delegates are headed to New York to fly back home after having virtually canceled a third round of ministerial talks scheduled for June 16. The delegates have delayed their trip home, however, as the U.S. side has made a request for additional talks through diplomatic channels. South Korea will continue talks on June 16.”

During the third round of talks, the two sides are expected to focus on how to encourage U.S. exporters to voluntarily refrain from exporting beef from cattle aged 30 months or older, without violating international trade regulations.

An official with South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, “In the course of the bilateral talks so far, the two sides have agreed to cooperate to find a solution that is satisfactory to both sides. However, more time is needed to verify the technical details needed to produce an efficient solution to import beef from cows aged below 30 months.”

In particular, South Korea asked the United States to map out various measures, including a so-called export verification program, which would require U.S. quarantine officials to ensure that exporters send beef from cows aged below 30 months. The U.S. side has refused to do so, however, saying the measure may violate World Trade Organization rules, which say that a government cannot directly intervene in voluntary restrictions among private companies. The U.S. side is also believed to be sticking to its stance that the two sides should find ways to practically apply the export verification program without government involvement.

Regarding the deadline for concluding the talks, the South Korean ministry official said, “It will take some time. A deadline couldn’t be set. Even if an agreement is made (in Washington), the content of the negotiations will be announced in Seoul because there are several things that will need to be reviewed.”

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