By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

South Korea will decide this month whether to resume the import of U.S. beef, which was banned since the first case of mad cow disease was reported in Washington state in December 2003.

Government representatives, consumer groups and beef producers will gather in late June to review the U.S.’ quarantine efforts, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MOAF) said yesterday.

The ministry said no decision has been made concerning the resumption of the import, but rumors suggest the meeting will pave the way for American beef into the South Korean market.

``The representatives will make a decision depending on scientific data and experts’ opinions,’’ a ministry official said. ``We aren’t sure what will happen, but there are many factors to take into account.’’

The U.S. Agriculture Department said last week it found a suspicious case of the disease in tissue sample tests. It is seeking further inspections, but the animal poses no health risk because it didn’t enter the food chain, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said.

If further tests show the animal is not infected, it is expected to add pressure on South Korea to reopen its beef market.

``We will wait and see,’’ the official said. ``We are paying attention to why the suspicious case came about. But the bottle line is to confirm whether U.S. beef is safe to eat.’’

Seoul and Washington have reviewed technical and sanitary problems concerning the resumption of the beef trade. Veterinarian experts from the two countries gathered three times to discuss whether U.S. beef is free from the disease.

During the latest meeting in Washington on June 6-10, experts may have agreed on the resumption of U.S. beef imports but the ministry refused to confirm the claim.

South Korea is the fourth-largest consumer of beef in Asia, and was the third-largest importer of U.S. beef before the ban took effect in 2003.

It consumed 443,000 metric tons of beef in 2004, following China, India and Japan. In 2003, Seoul imported 199,000 tons of beef from the U.S., about 68 percent of all beef imports that year.

Seoul is expected to follow in the footsteps of Mexico, Japan, Taiwan and other countries that have resumed U.S. beef imports.

Ministry officials, however, said it will take months before U.S. beef is sold on the Korean market due to technical problems.

``If U.S. beef is proven to be safe for consumption, trade representatives will negotiate sanitary conditions and other safety issues that are necessary for U.S. beef to enter the Korean market again,’’ MOAF director Park Hyun-chool said.

``Korean consumers will be able to purchase U.S. beef by late this year.’’

jj@koreatimes.co.kr