Hagel: Beef compromise in best interest of U.S. and South Korea

GDO Report

"We are trying to find an accommodation on both sides that will get us past this impasse and get American beef back into South Korea," Hagel said.

He said the compromise being proposed by South Korea is to accept beef from cattle 30 months or younger from the United States, "to get us through the immediate crisis."

After speaking with producers and livestock organizations, Hagel said, he got a consensus that they would agree to a compromise like that.

"I think it is important that we get some measure of compromise to get this system back in place so we can start getting our beef back in Korea," he said.

Hagel said the best way to deal with South Korean consumers, who are driving the issue, is to "get American beef on those South Korean dinner tables and get the South Koreans to eat that American beef, which is safe and quality beef, and no one is going to get sick from it or die from it. That will engender more confidence and trust, and that is the way you deal with it."

"I hope that cool heads can prevail here," Hagel said.

U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said he doesn't support changing Korea's recent agreement to resume importing U.S. beef according to international, science-based guidelines.

"Korea has failed to live up to past agreements, and they have consistently looked for reasons to shut down the beef trade," Nelson said. "While I'm very empathetic with the Korean government, I also have to look out for the concerns of the American people and our U.S. beef producers."

He said U.S. trade negotiators have to be "very careful" about giving ground under these circumstances, especially if a compromise appears like an admission that there are concerns with U.S. beef when that isn't true.

"I'm willing to try to help them solve their political problem but not at the expense of the science and the American beef industry," Nelson said.

South Korea banned U.S. beef after the first North American case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, was identified in a U.S. dairy cow in 2003.

When South Korean President Lee Myun-bak recently announced plans to lift the ban, that prompted protests by thousands of South Koreans. His cabinet offered to step down amid a growing political crisis.

Nelson said the previous South Korean government promoted a message that beef from the United States was tainted in order to justify unfair trading practices that blocked U.S. beef imports. Now the new leadership is having trouble convincing South Koreans that U.S. beef is safe to eat.

"Unfortunately, they were very successful scaring the Korean people about U.S. beef," he said. "Now they're trying to un-ring the bell or unscramble the egg, and they've got a serious problem."

Nelson said a pending trade agreement with South Korea should not move forward until the beef issue is resolved.

"The ball's in their court to figure out how to calm down their legitimately concerned people," he said.

This week, Myung-bak pledged to keep U.S. beef out of South Korea unless Washington agrees to ban meat from older cattle.

The Associated Press reported that, in a nationally televised address, Lee said he will "ensure that the U.S. beef older than 30 months will not be put on our dinner tables as long as the people do not want it."

South Korea was the third-largest overseas market for U.S. beef until it suspended imports. Before the ban, South Korea was Nebraska's second-largest beef market, valued at $108 million annually.

Restricted imports of U.S. beef reached South Korean supermarkets last year, but shipments were put on hold after banned parts, such as bones, were found in a shipment, according to the AP.