S. Korean discounters set to start selling U.S. beef

SEOUL, Nov. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top three discount stores will start selling U.S. beef this week, 13 months after its sales were suspended due to the discovery of banned backbones in import shipments, an industry association said Tuesday.

The discount stores -- E-Mart, Homeplus and Lottemart -- have decided to begin
selling U.S. beef from Thursday to meet growing demand for the cheaper meat amid
a deepening economic downturn, the Korea Chainstores Association said.
The price of U.S. beef has yet to be determined, but it is expected to be cheaper
than Korean and Australian beef, industry sources said.
South Korea banned American beef outright after a mad cow cases was confirmed in
December 2003.
South Korea resumed imports of U.S. beef in October 2006, but the country
suspended quarantine inspection of all U.S. beef imports as banned backbones were
found in the meat in October last year.
Seoul and Washington signed a new import deal in April, which sparked massive
protests by concerned consumers here, prompting the two countries to limit
imports to meat from cattle under 30 months old.
Under the deal, local beef importers resumed imports of U.S. beef from August,
but the large retailers have not sold the meat out of concerns over negative
publicity and possible protests by civic groups.
A civic coalition of 1,700 activist groups, the People's Association Against Mad
Cow Disease, released a statement lashing out at the three retailers for their
decision to resume U.S. beef sales. The coalition also said it will organize a
nationwide boycott of U.S. beef unless the firms retract the decision.
South Korea became the largest export market for U.S. beef in September as local
buyers moved to stockpile the meat in anticipation of greater demand down the
road, according to the report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Exports of U.S. beef to South Korea reached US$89.24 million or 28 percent of the
total for the cited month.