US Ambassador Sandy Vershbow said today he didn’t feel there was a need to renegotiate the beef deal, reports Yonhap.
Meeting with Foreign Minister Yoo Myung-hwan, Vershbow said the April negotiations, based on scientific grounds, went well, and that there was no scientific ground to delay the execution of the agreement. He said he couldn’t deny he was disappointed with the delay (at least this time he was talking with reporters and not bitching on the phone to UDP chairman Sohn Hak-kyu), and he hoped for the resumption of US beef imports as soon as possible.
Yu reportedly told Vershbow that Koreans were concerned about beef from cows over 30 months old, to which the US ambassador replied that he was somewhat surprised, given how the OIE had said US beef from cows over 30 months old was safe.
OK, so he didn’t use the term “bullshit,” but close enough.
Vershbow called the decision by US beef producers to label the age of their meat an important measure. About whether the US would accept Korea’s request that it not export meat from cows over 30 months old, however, he said we’d have to wait to see, noting that it was a complicated and technical matter that involved not only the governments but also importers and exporters.
There’s quite a bit of news reaction to Vershbow’s comments, some of which I may post later. The GNP, however, said Vershbow’s comments are just the official US government line, and that multi-sided negotiations were currently underway with the US side.
UPDATE: Oh, the ambassador also expressed hope that Koreans would learn a little more about US beef. We’ll see how that goes.
UPDATE 2: The Bolsheviks progressives at Pressian have some of the political fallout from Vershbow’s comments. UDP spokeswoman Cha Young said the government had met with disgrace just a quarter of a day after asking for renegotiations. “Rather than renegotiations, we were only humiliated again,” she said. She said that “begging” the United States not to export older meat was giving the US a greater voice, and that the government’s humble diplomacy, which only sought to avoid a crisis, was narrowing Korea’s bargaining position.
Big, big balls, these UDP guys have. Easy to start a trade war with the United States from the opposition aisle.
Cha said that the government had fabricated a declaration by Korean importers to voluntarily ban older American meat and fabricated a voluntary ban by US importers. She said the fundamental solution could only be a declaration to completely renegotiate the beef deal.
The Democratic Labor Party, meanwhile… well, you can probably guess. The DLP focused its love on Ambassador Vershbow, saying they were dumbstruck by his arrogance. Party vice-spokesman Kang Hyeong-gu said Vershbow was disrespecting the Korean government and insulting the citizens of Korea. What Vershbow needed to do, the spokesman said, was report the Korean government’s demand and the need to renegotiate to his nation’s government.
The spokeman said with the US ambassador, who isn’t in charge of trade, ignoring the Korean government’s demands and the fury of the Korean people and even pressuring the Korean government by saying he was disappointed in them, one could mistake the present day for the US military government period of 1945-1948. With a finishing flury, he said — and this is DLP rhetoric at its finest — that Vershbow should remember that if he continued to disrespect Korea’s sovereignty and insult its people, he along with mad cow beef would be stopped from setting foot in Korea.
I don’t suppose the ambassador has Kang on speed dial, but if he did, he could probably call him up to say that rather than talk with his party, Washington would instead express its position to Pyongyang directly.
40 Comments
Isn’t the ambassador’s name is Alexander Vershbow?
For some reason, I have feeling the dumb asses in the Korean public and the media don’t understand what a trade war with the United States will mean…
For the sake of seeing them fall on their faces and seeing them lose their jobs and livelihoods, I hope there is a trade war.
This obsession with that Vershbow phone call to Sohn is misplaced and needs to be put to rest ASAP. Such contacts take place all the time. The protocol lapse was the leaking of it to the Korean media by Sohn’s people for political purposes.
here are some facts about us beef from the centers for food safety:
35 million cattle are commercially slaughtered each year–last year 20,526 of these cattle were tested for mad cow disease.
Only 9 percent of downer cattle (animals that cannot walk, exhibit symptoms of neurological disease, and/or that die or are killed for reasons other than routine slaughter) are tested in the United States compared to 100 percent in the European Union and Japan. [i]
Cattle viewed as unable to walk outside of slaughterhouses, or have other signs of brain disease, are to be ruled unfit for human consumption and sent to a rendering plant. This includes the brain and spinal cord, the most infectious tissue. At rendering plants, slaughter by-products and diseased animals are turned into protein feed, oils and other products.
Under FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulations issued in 1997, it is illegal to feed protein made from cows, sheep, deer, and other so-called ruminants to other ruminants. As of January 2004, beef blood and beef fat are no longer permitted in calf feed. But it is still legal to feed renderedcattle protein to pigs, chickens, and other animals. Those animals in turn can be rendered and fed to cows or sheep. [ii]
Livestock feed plants are inspected by the FDA. However, in 2001, the FDA was so short of inspectors that nearly a third of the country’s 10,000 feed plants were not inspected. [iii]
Some scientists have suggested a possible link between rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone)–a controversial, genetically-engineered drug which forces dairy cows to produce more milk–and mad-cow safety concerns. Cows treated with rBGH need to consume more protein, and this is often in the form of “rendered animal protein,” making the cattle more susceptible to mad cow disease. [iv]
Countries such as Japan are insisting on 100% testing of slaughtered cattle. The Bush administration’s refusal to satisfy this request is forcing some U.S. meatpackers to lay off workers. The borders of more than 50 countries remain closed to American beef exports, which last year totaled about $3 billion. [v]
A total of 300 U.S. companies are in violation of federal regulations meant to prevent mad cow disease. These regulations include keeping feed made with cattle parts separate from feed for cattle and labeling feed with the banned material. The data comes from FDA’s own database of animal feed company inspection records updated in October 2003 for the first time in 17 months. The number of companies violating the law is more than double the number listed by the FDA in April 2002. [vi]
Of the 300 firms in violation of FDA regulations, 173 handle or distribute prohibited materials. 32 of these handle both prohibited materials and ruminant feed, making them the most likely firms to spread mad cow disease. Additionally, 1,779 records out of 11,172 have no listing of any action taken by the FDA after it completed its own inspection. [vii]
On May 13, 2002, President Bush signed into law the 2002 “Farm Bill,” which included an initiative requiring country of origin labeling (COOL) for beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable agricultural commodities and peanuts. In October 2003, the USDA issued a proposed rule for mandatory COOL. In December, the US Department of Agriculture extended the comment period to February 27, 2004. This program still has not been implemented.[viii]
lol at the update. Dream on Mr. Ambassador…dream on.
Like CM, I fully welcome the advent of a trade war… and I highly suspect that a Democrat in office would be up to the task.
Aside from that issue, “learning more about US Beef” would mean realizing that many US cows are hopped up on hormones and antibiotics and fed corn, a very non naturally occurring plant (read up on teosinte)
can anyone help me with a question?
i was wondering what the EU’s, England’s, and Japan’s import policies are for US beef?
i.e. do they import beef over the age of 30 months?
regardless of the scientific weight for or against the cause of vCJD by cows over 30 months, if other countries, especially “developed” countries, ban 30+ months cows, we can better appreciate the passion of koreans protesting on the streets.
perhaps it would be fairer to view their demonstrations as frustration with a government that lowers the standards for it’s own citizens in comparison to international trends rather than viewing them as simply irrational sheep.
anyone in korea should be aware of the fanatical tendencies of koreans to try to “keep up with the jones”. so with that perspective can we have a more balanced and nuanced view of the complexity of what’s going on in this issue?
“are tested in the United States compared to 100 percent in the European Union and Japan”
Pawi, do you have any statistics on Korean cow industry? That’s right, you don’t have any because Korea doesn’t even have a system of testing and prevention, let alone be up to American standards. Why this very fact doesn’t even register in Korean minds?? Perhaps Europeans and Japanese have the right to question American system because they have higher standards of inspections, hygene, and have much better record of tracking their food sources. Europeans and Japanese have the right to be critical. Koreans, on the other hand.. we all know about the greed and corruption that’s rampant from top to bottom. Doesn’t this make Korea look like an idiotic hypocrite when they can’t even control their own food, let alone criticize others who are in far better shape?
#1 His name IS Alexander. Alexander “Sandy” Vershbow.
The latest update I have read, no one imports American beef over 30 months. That makes their argument somewhat understandable. On-the-other-hand, those countries do not eat Specific High Risk Materials, which Koreans do. Again, that makes their argument reasonable.
However, that is NOT a US issue. It is a Korean issue. People KNOW that eating certain SRMs increases one’s probability of contracting the disease. CHANGING one’s eating habits would seem to be in order, don’t you think??????
good for the us for telling the locals to fuck off.
btw my wife just called from near gyeungbokgung station trying to get a cab home. the protests are almost up her school which is above sajik park. its ridiculous
knew tonite was going to be bad just not this bad.
cm, it registers plenty for the natives.
that’s why, once “bad US beef” comes in, there will be distrust of “ALL beef”
thus, the expat’s argument, that,
“don’t buy, if you don’t like”
does not apply in Korea.
for their belief, it’s
“can’t buy ANY beef”
thus, the protest,
thus, the beef issue with the 30 month old has passed a
point of no return.
Come on, you saw the suraegi mandoo incident, or did you not?
they avoided ALL mandoo.
what about the AI chicken?
they avoided ALL chicken.
further back, maybe you don’t recall, but what about the ramen made with bad edible oil?
they avoided ALL Ramen. With Samyang Ramen taking the biggest hit.
I can’t believe I have to explain this to you.
i think Lee Myung Bak will work something out with the US beef industry.
It’s better for them to sell the 80% + of beef that is 20 month old or younger, rather than insisting on including older ages, and not selling any.
they’ll eat a considerable chunk of meat and get fat, and delight the local clinics.
Meat’s been slim on the Korean shiktak for many, many years. One of the first things I noticed when I went from US to Korea and back to US.
The US ambassador speaking up on an anti-US issue usually goes over very well…
Sounds familiar. I wonder if they have this on tape so they can save their vocal cords each time the US ambassador speaks?
He was talking about the Sunshine Policy, right?
Gillian, Canada imports US beef over thirty months old.
“i think Lee Myung Bak will work something out with the US beef industry.”
There is nothing LMB nor the US side can do to convince the Korean public that the US won’t export 30 months or older. That’s because they have made up their minds that the US system and the US government can’t be trusted no matter what they do. What the public and the media really want is a complete stop of imports of US beef, and this cries of “renegotiation” is just a cover - a smoke screen. Read the Korean netizens to see what they’re really thinking, WJK. The word “renegotiation” is just a slogan that they’re mindlessly shouting.
Question:
Does Korea have the equivalent of a Surgeon General with the stature of a C. Everet Coop?
Wouldn’t it make things simpler if Korea did? Then he can get on TV and tell people they are being stoopid and ppl would then shut the hell up.
The DLP party is a Communist front organization masquerading as a legitimate party. Obviously, they’ve gained support in the last few months and have gained a second life after they were thoroughly humiliated in the general elections.
“The fury of the korean people”. Ok. Korean people, you may suck my hairy white ass.
Iffff yooouuu ssmeell whattt barakk isssss coookiinnnggggggg
liberals don’t like free trade.
Look at Obama.
Same thing.
liberals are bad.
Mad American Disease. Obama “ending” the Iraq War.
“liberals don’t like free trade.
Look at Obama. ”
True. But is Obama or the American liberals take the chapter out of the Dear Leader’s book and make dumb proletarian communistic speeches about “Koreans insulting the American people, fury of American people”, and other stoopid idiotic speeches? This is one of the major opposition parties that we’re talking about here. What does this say about us that allow such stupidity to gain any kind of legitimacy in the Korean media?
Things (such as mob hysteria) are going to get worse and worse. Expect an incident involving a GI to get completely blown out of proportion (and one will most assuredly occur), and then hold on to your hats. Once Koreans collectively lose control of their senses, all hell breaks lose. Over the past 40 years I have witnessed this phenomenon firsthand countless times. Koreans are an extremely frustrated and potentially explosive group of people, and this most recent outburst of pure insanity has nothing to do with mad cow disease, as the more astute commentators have noted. As I said, things are going to get worse and worse in South Korea. In one sense it’s fascinating to watch, as a psychological study of mob behavior. On the other hand it’s sad to watch, because Korea’s economy is starting to face some serious issues. Unlike his stint as CEO and mayor of Seoul, 2MB is totally unequipped to handle his current job. He’s toast.
what, you prefer a military capitalist regime, that has a tv news program that parrots the Blue House ?
you must be referring to the “lost 10 years”.
well, unlike Japan, Korea has a real regime change in Presidential elections, and it is the liberals who brought more social benefits to the people. (at some real cost to the economy) Women’s rights, some sort of social security after retirement (although they retire very early against their will), some sort of national health coverage, more freedom of speech (I never recall the govt tolerating so many insults against a sitting President of Korea), etc.
Sure, look at the Democrats and Obama. Idiotic? Subjectively, overwhelmingly.
Proleterian? You bet on this one. They have unions who pay (lobby) their bills.
Communistic? You bet. What do you think they’re talking about, when they talk of “wealth Re-distribution” and taxing more on people who make 200k or more?
I overwhelmingly prefer the types of George W. Bush and Lee Myung Bak, though.
it’s interesting and amusing to me, when KBS 9pm news became “un-trust worthy” and a “lie machine” to certain regions of Korea.
Lee Myung Bak is showing unprecedented progress.
the 9pm news is undermining him.
Never happenned in Korea before.
This is progress.
Also called true freedom of speech.
did you miss Obama always saying,
“we the people”
“the american people”,
etc?
perfect parallels
thank you PD, for weeks of free entertainment. i might actually cry when this is all over in a week or two and the beef comes rolling on in.
“UDP spokeswoman Cha Young said the government had met with disgrace just a quarter of a day after asking for renegotiations. “Rather than renegotiations, we were only humiliated again,” she said.”
Amazing how renegotiation is demanded, yet the humiliation of the act - and presumably the humiliating outcome - is a forgone conclusion. (Yet another in a long line of disgraceful experiences suffered by Korea at the hands of a foreign power, if nobody has picked up on the theme so far.) Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
In all fairness to the UDP, if Chung Dong-young were president and trying to pass this deal, a GNP opposition would probably be touching on the same old themes in their attempts to block it.
Looks like that law degree really paid off for little Yoon-min’s mother. Despite her years of training in logic and reason, her son has inherited the critical thinking skills of a rabid dog.
Sometimes Koreans just sparkle so brightly…I need to avert my gaze to avoid being burned by the collective stupidity.
What makes you think Korean lawyers are trained in logic and reason?
Good point. I blame the US-made hamburger I was consuming while I wrote that. It gave me temporary vCJD.
One of the funnier aspects of this entire clusterfuck is watching the rationalization dance going on with those who defend the protestards. It’s painfully obvious that there is a strong anti-American current running through the entire issue, and it’s also clear that the science and facts regarding BSE refute every single scare-mongering rumor that these dipshits are basing their protests on.
So faced with that reality and not wanting to seem like headless anti-American dumbasses, the knee-jerk defenders are trying to claim that the US and its beef aren’t the real targets of the protests. This is typical (from the Mad Korean thread):
Other variations include anger at LMB’s arrogance, or his administration ignoring public opinion, or not responding to the concerns of citizens, or ignoring the “will of the people.”
What is so hysterical about this entire line of thinking, is that these idiots are demanding that their president follow the “public opinion,” even when that opinion is utterly insane, based on nothing but internet rumors and fiction, completely devoid of logic or rationality, and absolutely batshit ignorant to the point of making the country an international laughingstock.
Is that really the kind of president you want? Do you really think it in the best interests of the country that your elected leader should blindly follow a herd of mindless, gullible dumbfucks who wouldn’t know a mad cow if it shoved a candle up their ass and called them daddy?
The nerve of these fucking lunatics, to demand that their president ignore all logic and reason and instead accept their paranoid, idiotic, hysterical “opinion,” is truly astounding.
The fact that LMB is caving in to these petulant fools and actually treating their “concerns” seriously instead of standing up for rationality and sanity, is a clear indication of what an intellectually-bankrupt, spineless panzy he actually is. The Bulldozer is allowing himself to be bulldozed by a herd of frantic simpletons, and that puts him squarely on their level.
From Yonhap LEAD story this morning:
“More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition asking the Constitutional Court to nullify Seoul’s planned resumption of U.S. beef imports.
It was sensitive timing in Korea, ahead of the sixth anniversary next week of the deaths of two middle school girls killed by a U.S. armored vehicle in 2002. Koreans then held massive protests with candles, leading U.S. President George W. Bush to express regret. Their candlelight vigils have since became a popular method of peaceful protest in the country.”
I suppose it was only a matter of time before the main media outlet made the connection between beef and school girls. Jeez Luise! Is there no end tot his lunacy? Just what the left needed to stoke the flames of mass paranoia!
Cha Yoon-min, 13, marched on City Hall on Saturday night with his mother, a lawyer in Seoul. “I am afraid of American beef,” he said. “I could study hard in school. I could get a good job and then I could eat beef and just die.”
That is hilarious! Amazing logic going on with that one. I could step out onto a crosswalk and just die, therefore, all cars should be banned.
“That is hilarious! Amazing logic going on with that one. I could step out onto a crosswalk and just die, therefore, all cars should be banned.”
Unfortunately, in Yoon-min’s case - or that of other Korean kids - getting killed by a car isn’t exactly outside the realm of possibility.
Speaking of driving safety, Lee Myung Bak just gave a pardon to over 2 million Koreans with suspended licences!
#28 that is unfrigginbelieve, she cant study because shes worried about eating american beef?? Man I got to send that one back to the family stateside or at least to Keith Olberman for his “dumbest person in the world” segment
Here’s an idea: the Korean government should pass a law that deems beef from cattle older than 30 months old unfit for human consumption (fine for pets, not for humans). I wonder why nobody seems to be making that suggestions.
Among the things pawi doesn’t recognize is…well..the science behind the “debate.” The proliferation of pseudoscience appears to have infected him though.
“With a finishing flury, he said — and this is DLP rhetoric at its finest — that Vershbow should remember that if he continued to disrespect Korea’s sovereignty and insult its people, he along with mad cow beef would be stopped from setting foot in Korea.”
This reminds me of one of the minor oddities I remember from my time in Korea: the firm, although utterly incorrect, view of some Koreans that they could personally have a foreigner deported at will.
I came across it once in a dispute with a Korean myself, and have heard it anecodatally a score of times besides.
#35 Absolutely, this would seem to solve most of the problems if this were about health, but just like 2002 was not really about an apology either.
Mad Cow 2008 actually reminds me of Gulf War 2003.
The original and subsequent justifications are discovered to have no basis on facts, so the justifications shift.
Yet, in the case of Mad Cow 2008, it’s ye olde “anti-Americanism to swing the politics to the left” strategy that’s brought out periodically by the xenophobic, hyper-peninsulatic far left wing of Korean politics.
I really gotta hand it to the DPRK for doing such an effective job infiltrating ROK politics.
Poor ambassador
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