The Korean government has decided to give into the demands of protesters in the streets and have decided to delay the importation of US beef:
South Korea will delay posting the new U.S. beef import rules on the government gazette in the face of mounting public opposition, the agriculture ministry said Monday.
It said the move effectively delays implementation of the revised sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards signed by Seoul and Washington on April 18, and could signal the start of negotiations to reflect concerns about beef safety that have caused demonstrators to take to the streets since early last month. Recent demonstrations have turned violent as some protestors called for ousting President Lee Myung-bak, and police have started to crack down on marches. [Yonhap via TMH]
I agree with Robert Koehler’s idea and maybe it is time we delay the importation of a product from Korea for safety reasons? Here is my idea, ban the import of all Samsung cellphones because of public safety fears over the threat of brain cancer from high levels of radiation from the cellphones. Speculation is already mounting that Senator Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer due to heavy cell phone usage. If someone really wanted to demagogue this issue, then imagine finding a picture of Senator Kennedy holding a Samsung cell phone and then spreading it on the Internet and claim he received brain cancer from using the Samsung cellphone. As disgusting as this is, it is something right out of the Korean playbook.
Could you just imagine the irony when the Korean media starts complaining about how the radiation concerns are utter BS and how safe Samsung cellphones are compared to its competitors?
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9:16 am on June 3rd, 2008 1
It would be emotionally satisying to see Koreans get a taste of their own medicine, but I don’t think eye for an eye is the right course of action. I’m not surprised the Chinese chose to strike back this way, but we don’t have to (not yet, anyways) Plus it’ll play right into the hands of the Anti US crowd who believe Americans lose sleep at night plotting to destory their country.
For now we should gently (but firmly) remind LG or Samsung that they need our business as much as we need theirs, if not more. If we ban (or even temporarily ban) LG / Samsung phones or other electronics, what’s really left for Korea to export?
Meanwhile, the offical death count due to MDC among Koreans in southern California is “ZERO”. If Korean markets (oops, “marts”) won’t carry US beef, they should just sell it back to Korean restraunts in LA at a discount price. Because Korean Americans are so stupid that they ignore the .0000000000001 percent of MDC infection and continue to consume American beef. Unreal.
12:56 pm on June 4th, 2008 2
I have no problem with the beef staying in the US, it would drive down prices. But I’m sure the Chinese who are up and coming would love cheap US imports of beef in great quantities. With a country of 1.2 billion, who cares what Korea is willing to accept.
4:08 am on June 5th, 2008 3
But, there has been a recall of Samsung washing machines as they might catch fire - so stop all Korean appliance imports. We can include all Hyunday, KIA, and rebranded autos as they have been involved in countless accidents resulting in death and injury to occupants. They there was KAL007 where a member of congress hundreds of others died due to pilot error when a Soviet fighter show down the 747.