South Korea got first beef shipment in last 5 years from US

The 1.5-tonne shipment of ribs and other bone-in cuts of Creekstone Farms Premium Beef arrived by air at Incheon airport, west of Seoul, on early Tuesday, according to local beef importer Nerp Corp and quarantine officials. Shipment was the first since December 2003, when Seoul banned US beef imports over fears of mad cow disease, Seoul and Washington reached a deal in April to resume imports in hopes of paving the way for a wider free trade agreement.

Deal sparked almost daily street protests which rocked President Lee Myung-Bak’s newly elected conservative government and led him to sack three cabinet ministers, US meat will undergo quarantine inspections for about 10 days before being released to local markets for sale next month, officials said.

Thousands of people have rallied in South Korea since early May against the deal, with critics arguing the government rushed into it to please Washington and ignored public concerns over the risk of mad cow disease, government secured extra health safeguards from Washington, and some US beef is currently on sale, but some hardcore protesters continue to campaign. The United States should export beef to South Korea only from cattle less than 30 months, in an attempt to alleviate fears of the disease.