Not going to quote as it will turn into much too long of a post but it will follow the general flow of 45

- The comparisons/contrasts with other countries may or may not be relevant. It all depends on how the argument is made and the basis for such comp/cont is valid. Using the 20 month age limit in Japan, for example, is not valid as it does not take into account the standards placed on the domestic industry. Using the EU is equally disingenuous as the basis for those bans have nothing to do with BSE. The issue with tomatoes can show how serious/not serious the regulatory bodies are about food safety. Make your own conclusions.

- It is actually not the US applying different standards to different countries, it is the US following the domestic standards relative to its’ exports. US meat is US meat - it either meets or it does not meet the standards set by the importing country.

- If Korea, as an exporting nation, really wants to set up a trade scheme where a country can arbitrarily set “safety” standards that are against international standards and higher than those of the domestic industry…well…good luck with that.

- The consumer choice argument is a load of crap. If the product is banned, where is the choice? Where is the choice for those that want to buy it? The actions of the protests are not to increase consumer choice but to limit it. Using “we” is also a pretty pathetic generalization.

- No salesman is threatening the client. It is actually the client threatening the salesman. Nobody is forcing the importer to import it nor the purchaser to purchase it.

- Korea is not interested in selling beef to America for other reasons. Furthermore, Korean beef would not meet America’s domestic safety standards in its’ present state.

- the testing is being done in accordance to international standards. The false conclusion being presented that they don’t want to find it has no logical basis. If you stick with that assessment, however, could the same standards not be applied to the Korean beef industry? It is not done because they are scared of what they will find?

- the hypocrisy surrounding the events of 2002 are astounding. The names were published but the (pinko) government did not make an issue out of it despite it being a deliberate act.

Comparing that to the soldiers who gave their lives in other willing combat situations is not really valid.

- the USFK handled the whole incident regarding the two girls in accordance with Korean laws and standard practices with regards to traffic deaths. That the media chose not to report those details to the public is the issue. If you are referring to the SOFA, perhaps you should actually read the document and compare it with SOFA’s that Korea has with other countries and the results of accidental deaths by the hands of Korean soldiers overseas.

- there is inherent risk in absolutely every activity that you do every second of your life. Nobody is downplaying the significance of life at all or making excuses for it. It is just the world that we live in.

Enka is great. Very relaxing after a round of golf on a hot summer’s day and cooling off with a frothy cold mug of Asahi. BTW, who is “Nam Jin: and high voice “Na Hoon A?” Are they enka singers?

@ 13

“A big earthquake hit Japan.”

- Really? Sorry to hear about that. Is Pawi going to follow Korean tradition and throw a huge party to celebrate as a follow up for the Sichuan Earthquake celebration?

I had a look at the NYT and NPR articles. There is nothing new or of relevance to the issue of importing US beef. Any stories contrasting US beef with Japan’s or Europe’s are irrelevant in the context of Korea. Stories about killer tomatoes and spinach are likewise irrelevant since the issue is beef.

so anything, anybody and any articles or researches not helping to sell US beef, regardless of where the source of origin is, are all irrelevant? I insist that anything supporting Koreans to judge, compare and choose produce that eventually makes them pay their money is relevant’. so how other countries handle the same issus and even the spinach or tomato cases which paralyze the whole nation can be good examples of understanding US foods chain. how the country which cannot control its own foods chain can handle the international foods export? Isn’t it certainly we can think about as a person who is paying for it?

US beef meets Korean safety standards. Korea’s testing for BSE is even less than the US, so arguments about the safety of US beef fall flat.

this is really dissapointing part. So, sounds like that you guys do not mind applying different standards to different countries? where has you guys public morality gone?

One of the great things about America, Jee, is consumer choice.

You missed something very important here. it is your country want to sell your produce and we are your customers. and we want to buy only certain things from you by paying our money. what kind of salesman is forcing and threatening their client? the salesman seems to need special education about sales.

we want your ‘beef of less 30 month old without bones’ and we want to stop if you fail to meet our condition. that is what we are saying. please give your customers some choice. what do you think?

You can’t find what you don’t test

Exactly! that is what Koreans have been talking about. you guys are not testing enough because you guys do not want to find it.

If you and other Koreans really want to eat healthy, you should avoid both US beef and Korean beef and eat Australian beef instead. Australian beef is grass-fed, so its nutritional profile is superior.

as I mentioned earlier, it is you guys try to sell your beef and we are not interested in selling Korean beef in America.

What kind of nation ignores the ultimate sacrifices of its military, who died defending the country?

(hey, don’t copy me. it is copyrighted Is your country always to open all the military incidents? we barely reach those information but have heard that there were soldiers died but true that normal people do not know much about it and neither names of the Korean navy who died then. i believe that it might be related to some kind of military policy not to publicize considering the current N/S.Korea situation. so it is something i cannot say anything about.

however, i send big thanks and pray for the soul of the American sailers.

btw, I would like to ask you if you know name of the south Korean soldiers who died in Vietnam and afghanistan? have you ever thought about the families of them who bravely died for defending your oil? how are you guys and US government honoring them?

About the school girls, I again want you to be very careful to talk about it as I believe you just mention without thinking much. the reason Korean people are more upset about is the US handling the insident afterwards rather than the actual death. It is natural to reconsider something wrong to fix but nothing has been changed much. the main issue that Koreans bring up is to up-to-date the current punishment regulation which was made more than 50 years ago. your comparison this incident to the soldiers just makes me laugh… so irrelevant.

more and more i read your writing, i am more and more convinced how much you guys underestimate value of precious life. even when you are talking about the deads after eating spinach and tomato, you made comment like ‘that was old guys and young kids’ and ‘that was a little little proportion compared to the whole population’. the idea that small sacrifice is ok is very dangerous. the old guy could have been your grandfather, the little babies could have been your children or nieces.

that is certainly totally absolutely wrong. even one single life died from whatever reason, that should be considered very inportant. nothing can excuse it. all sort of problems these….’

well said.

“Foreign person” mall sells (resells?) Ikea furniture to you foreigners “for better your life in Korea” [sic]. So, Bravo Your Life!

You foreigners can even contact them, I think: “When it writes the writing from here and the consultation unit field reply does as a favor with directness E-Mail.” http://weagookinmall.com/board/custom_input.php

“Foreign person” mall sells (resells?) Ikea furniture to you foreigners “for better your life in Korea” [sic]. So, Bravo Your Life!

You foreigners can even contact them, I think: “When it writes the writing from here and the consultation unit field reply does as a favor with directness E-Mail.”

http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-u.....;GT1=42003

These Star Wars geeks are something else.

Number 5, if you can’t watch it on telly, you can see it here. Requires download of sopcast software, which is safe.