More than 10,000 people took to the streets overnight in the South Korean capital to protest against the decision to open the domestic market to beef imports from the United States. During a candlelight vigil, the protesters asked new president Lee Myung-bak to reverse the "mad decision", a reference to the mad cow disease believed to be present in the imported meat.
At the same time, a petition launched on the internet has gathered more than 500,000 signatures: the text rejects the "humiliating and miserable diplomacy" of Seoul, considered "too close to Washington and its goods". Now, the government is afraid of a new outbreak of anti-American sentiment, similar to the explosion in 2002, when two South Korean girls were killed near the capital by an armoured U.S. army vehicle.
The leaders of the protests are also asking for an investigation into the behaviour of the president, who signed the import agreement during his first official visit to the United States last month. Kim Eun-joo, organiser of the online petition, explains: "It's an unjust treaty, significantly threatening Koreans' health. It's not just a matter of us avoiding marked American beef (if we are concerned about its safety) since a wide range of foods we consume are made with ingredients from cows. That means all Koreans will be exposed to the risk of mad cow disease".
Even more preoccupying is the final destination of the beef, which, once bought by the government, could end up in the cafeterias of state schools. Kim, who has two children, says: "To resolve this problem, Seoul will buy all of the meat and send it to the schools. I am afraid to let my children go to school. If the import plan goes unchanged, I would persuade parents to boycott schooling".
Theresa Kim Hwa-young reported for Asia News.
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