Beef Deal Discussions to Open Again

SOUTH KOREA - A senior presidential secretary and a group of Grand National Party (GNP) lawmakers began trips to the United States Monday for talks on the U.S. beef import issue with American officials.

10 June 2008

1 minute read

Asia

But, according to the Korean Times, the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) reiterated its demand for renegotiations on the beef import deal with the United States.

The news agency reports that the UDP urged the Lee Myung-bak administration to send a special envoy to ask the U.S. to hold renegotiations to revise the 'poor' Seoul-Washington beef deal, which was signed in April.

Cheong Wa Dae dispatched Kim Byung-kook, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and national security, to the U.S. after President Lee and U.S. President George W. Bush held telephone talks about Koreans' month-long protest against the beef deal last Saturday.

Kim and other senior secretaries tendered their resignations en masse last week, following the worsening public backlash.

View the Korean Times story by clicking here.