Hundreds injured as 15,000 S Koreans protest U.S. beef after Rice visits Seoul

Sunday 29th June, 04:25 PM JST

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medievaltimes at 11:15 PM JST - 29th June

The louder this gets, the less it has to do with US beef.

If the issue is sooooo important to them, they would simply not buy the beef and eat something else instead.

This issue seems to be more about politics and less with food safety.
shibalhangook at 02:53 AM JST - 30th June

I was sure no country could have stranger ways - rituals, basically - of venting en masse their displaced personal anger than could the Japanese. But there ya go...

Oh boy..let me tell you. I was living in Japan for 4 years and I thought that place was whacked until I came here to Korea. Within only 2 weeks, I knew that this place would top even Pee Wee's Playhouse. Seriously, the "idiot virus" seems to have been created in this country..namely by that stupid, nationalistic, blame everything on USA and Japan, commie-loving opportunist clown of a president, Roh Moo Hyun, that Korea had in its last term. He basically left a mountain of his own horse manure for his incumbent, Lee Myung Bak, to clean up. I would rather kill myself than try to become president of this country of whom the citizens maturity level seems to be one level below that of my 8 year old niece.
shibalhangook at 02:58 AM JST - 30th June

The louder this gets, the less it has to do with US beef.

If the issue is sooooo important to them, they would simply not buy the beef and eat something else instead.

This issue seems to be more about politics and less with food safety.

Couldn't have said it any better. It's basically the idiot brainwashing leftist, racist, anti-USA teacher's union who are basically responsible for having screwed up the entire generation of Korean youngsters who are brainwashed into thinking that the US is a bigger threat to Korea than North Korea who has guns, naval ships, and ammunition aimed right at Seoul. Seriously, I really wonder where the brain distribution force was during their stopover in the peninsula for the people in this modern age to think like this.

Now they have teachers actively recruiting Jr. High School students in going to these protests crying "I don't want to die from eating diseased, dirty American beef which is only given to us as garbage!"

The saying goes, "Tell a lie million times, it becomes the truth." The Korean version should be: "Spread a lie on any Korean internet news portal, and as long as it is racist, anti-America/Japanese/Chinese..within one hour, it becomes the truth."

Poor Lee Myung Bak..he must feel like he is the only mature adult in the country trying to run an entire population of lemmings.
adaydream at 03:02 AM JST - 30th June

The problem is beef importers, the US, still sends beef with banned parts. The US refuses to test every cow, unlike some beef processors are willing to do. But the US refuses to allow some processors to test every cow.

Good to hear that the Koreans are telling the US beef industry where to put their beef. < :-)
shibalhangook at 03:03 AM JST - 30th June

On a final note...

Koreans seem to be obsessively paranoid that they will die if they eat any beef from America. No matter how many times scientific analysis and proof that not a single case of BSE has occured in the US for the past 15 years, Koreans seem to think that it's still a US plot to "poison us innocent Koreans".

Puhlease...you have about 1000 times greater chance of getting killed just crossing the street in Korea b/c of their blatant disregard for traffic rules or by walking in a shoddily built building or bridge than by eating US beef.

This is just a greedy and sly attempt by the Korean ranchers to influence Korea's already protected tariff trade imbalance with the US. While we are forced to buy almost all of their Hyundais and Samsungs, Korea does not want to be fair in accepting America's share.
Badsey at 05:38 AM JST - 30th June

Korea may not be the best at making cars, but with rioting technique they are #1, Chinese farmers #2, Taiwan politicans #3.
VOR at 06:25 AM JST - 30th June

these are the same people who bury cabbage in the backyard then eat it when its good and rotten.

the ban on US Beef has never been a health issue. its protectionism masked under the thin cover of a public safety. now that the ruse is over, it takes protests from nationalist and people who rely on market protection to keep from losing market share to its strongest competitor.

people die in Hyundais therefore Hyundais are unsafe. Close the US market to Hyundais until SoKo builds a car that is perfectly safe.
OssanULTRA at 07:11 AM JST - 30th June

This is nuts. I can't imagine swinging steel pipes or throwing rocks over beef.
SezWho2 at 11:37 AM JST - 30th June

Can you imagine swinging steel pipes or throwing rocks over any issue that you feel has been forced upon you in an unrepresentative way? How about something as simple as a stamp tax?
kinniku at 11:51 AM JST - 30th June

Fascinating...in South Korea more people are being injured by protests about US beef than would ever actually be injured by the US beef itself.
SuperLib at 12:34 PM JST - 30th June

The South Koreans did this to themselves.
adaydream at 01:18 PM JST - 30th June

Can you imagine a US beef processor allowing beef to get sent to Korea again with backbone and spinal tissue?

That's exactly what happened in Japan. But the US swore they'd never receive these parts again.

We'll see how long it's kept out of Korea. < :-)
kinniku at 02:07 PM JST - 30th June

adaydream,

Maybe you mistyped? When exactly did a US beef processor send beef with backbone and spinal tissue to South Korea? They have not to my understanding. Yes, it did happen with regard to Japan and yes, it was a stupid mistake. However, it certainly is not the first time mistakes and slipups have occurred regarding the food industry. Snow Brand anyone?
adaydream at 02:32 PM JST - 30th June

kinniku

You're correct. "again" was a mistype. < :-)
kinniku at 03:29 PM JST - 30th June

adaydream,

No worries. For the record, the US deserved to have a scare put in them over the mistake in Japan. Hopefully they can avoid any reoccurances. However, the kind of violence we are seeing on the part of some South Koreans is rather ridiculous. Don't want it? Don't buy it and don't eat it. The problem for the local South Korean beef industry is that many South Koreans probably do want it, will buy it and will eat it.