US President George W. Bush on Saturday promised to help allay South Korean fears over beef imports, President Lee Myung-Bak's office said, after concerns about mad cow disease triggered a political crisis. Lee telephoned Bush to ask for his help after a decision to resume US imports sparked massive protests and an opposition parliament boycott in South Korea.
Seoul had already asked Washington not to export beef from cattle more than 30 months old - seen as more vulnerable to infection - as a concession to public fears about mad cow disease. "President Bush said he understood well South Koreans' concerns and worries and he will make sure that anything that should not be included in shipments is not shipped to South Korea," the presidential Blue House said.
"He also said he will have his administration come up with concrete measures aimed at preventing beef from cattle more than 30 months old from being shipped to South Korea," it said. Lee had asked Bush to take "concrete and substantial" measures to stop such beef cuts from being exported to South Korea. The two leaders spoke for about 20 minutes, Lee's office said.
Tens of thousands of South Koreans have taken to the streets to protest the lifting of a ban on US beef imports on May 29. On Friday, thousands of riot police barred more than 50,000 protesters from marching on the presidential office and residence, manning barricades of buses when the rally neared to over a kilometre (0.7 miles) from the Blue House.
The turbulence showed no sign of abating Saturday, as tens of thousands of people marched along the street in the city centre, chanting slogans and carrying candles. Police put the number of protesters at 20,000. Some 14,000 riot police carrying shields manned barricades made of buses parked along or across the streets. There were no immediate reports of any violence or arrests, witnesses said. Activists called for more protests in the coming week as opposition parties vowed to continue their parliament boycott.
Lee has insisted he will not re-negotiate the deal on US beef imports, saying any attempt to craft a new agreement could hurt South Korea even more by jeopardising a free trade pact with the United States.
US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Bush had told Lee Saturday of "the importance he places on the US-Korea relationship and his strong commitment to secure promptly, congressional approval of the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement."
Total trade between South Korea and the United States is worth an annual 80 billion dollars, and some studies show this could eventually rise by up to 20 billion dollars under a free trade regime.
Though Lee's government has been forced to delay the planned resumption of beef imports and asked Washington not to export the beef from cattle more than 30 months old, the moves have had little apparent effect on damping the calls for him to step down.
Lee swept to victory in December presidential elections on a promise to use his business experience to revive the economy, but his popularity ratings have plunged to the low 20s, according to opinion polls. Expectations of a quick economic turnaround are fading fast, and Lee has been criticised over a series of key government appointments. There is also strong opposition to a cross-country canal project he is pushing. Lee's conservative Grand National Party suffered big losses in local by-elections last Wednesday, its first electoral test since taking office.