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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - SOUTH Korean President Lee Myung Bak, his popularity plunging, on Thursday apologised for ignoring public health concerns when his government agreed to resume US beef imports.
The conservative former CEO, who won the presidency by biggest margin in the country's history, has seen his public support dragged down by the issue and now stands at just over 20 per cent after almost three months in office.
'I humbly accept the proposition that we neglected to heed the will of the people,' Lee told a nationally televised address.
'I feel a sense of apology to the people,' a grim-faced Mr Lee said before bowing his head in contrition.
South Korea agreed last month to resume full beef US imports which were banned some five years ago because of mad cow disease in the United States.
It has wider ramifications, with US legislators making clear they would not back a sweeping bilateral free trade deal unless Seoul separately opened up to beef.
South Korea used to be the third-largest US beef export market before the mad cow outbreak in 2003, importing around 199,000 tonnes worth US$850 million (S$1.15 billion) a year.
The government has been caught off guard by the mounting public anger over the deal because of health fears.
Mr Lee said his government had an agreement in writing with Washington to stop imports of US beef if a threat to public health arises.
'The government's position is firm. Public health will not be traded for anything.'
South Korea had said previously that import of beef from cattle older than 30 months would not take place but the United States has disputed the comment, saying no changes had taken place and South Korea was on track to accept imports from cattle of any age.
Mr Lee has been criticised for rushing into the beef deal in time for his visit last month to the United States, his first trip abroad as president, for talks with President George W. Bush.
His critics accuse him of kowtowing to Washington by agreeing to accept beef from older, and so riskier, cattle which other US trading partners such as Japan still will not import.
Opposition parties have demanded Mr Lee sack his agriculture and health ministers, and vowed to hold up the free trade deal with the United States in parliament until the beef deal is killed.
They said his latest apology was not enough.
South Korean officials have said the ratification of the free trade deal by its parliament would put pressure on US Congress to vote on the deal before the November presidential and congressional elections. -- REUTERS
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