Korean President Says No Older U.S. Beef

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Lee Myung-bak pledged to keep U.S. beef out of South Korea unless Washington agrees to ban meat from older cattle, seeking Thursday to defuse a political crisis sparked by health concerns that has derailed his plan to boost U.S. ties and reinvigorate the economy.

In a nationally televised address, Lee said he will “ensure that the U.S. beef older than 30 months will not be put on our dinner tables as long as the people do not want it.” Cattle younger than 30 months are considered less at risk for mad cow disease.

The South Korean leader said he had told Bush during a phone call earlier this month that South Korea “would not be able to import U.S. beef” if its demands were not accepted.

Source: New York Times