U.S. beef was being sold at major South Korean stores Friday for the first time since a ban triggered by mad cow disease fears was lifted, but protesters prompted some shops to pull the meat from shelves after scuffles with police, REPORTED AP. South Korea shut its doors to American beef in December 2003 after an outbreak of mad cow disease in the U.S. It partially reopened its market last year, but agreed to accept only boneless meat from cattle under 30 months old, thought to be less at risk of carrying the illness. South Korea was the third-largest foreign market for American beef before it banned imports. Although there have been other imports of U.S. beef since the ban was relaxed, Friday appeared to be the first time consumers could buy the meat at regular supermarkets. It was priced considerably lower than the homegrown product. The Lotte Mart discount store chain said that, depending on the cut, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of U.S. beef would range in price from 1,550 won (US$1.70; ¤1.20) to 3,950 won (US$4.30; ¤3.10) _ about the cost of Korean beef and up to 25 percent cheaper than Australian meat. As the beef hit the market, about 60 protesters gathered at one of the chain's outlets in central Seoul, chanting «Down with Lotte Mart!» Some had bought meat, which they threw on the ground. Police blocked protesters who tried to enter the store's front door _ but they ran to another entrance and made their way inside to counters where U.S. beef was being sold. Signs were pulled down and a window broken in the scuffle. «Of course we'd like to feed our children good-quality food at cheap prices, but that doesn't mean we should feed them the meat of sick cows,» said Lee Jeong-joo, chairwoman of the Korea Association of Consumers' Cooperatives. «We cannot feed poison to our children.» Store officials at that outlet told the protesters that they would stop selling U.S. beef for the day and review the practice of further sales. Of the 53 Lotte Mart stores nationwide, six outlets took similar action in the wake of protests, said company spokesman Kim Min-seok. Before the meat was removed from the shelves at the Seoul store, officials said they had sold 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of the 1 metric ton (1.1 tons) of beef set to be sold at that location. «We've received a great reaction from the customers. I think, as a discounter, it is our duty to sell products that suit the needs of customers,» said Jeong Sun-young, a Lotte Mart official. The move to halt the sales drew ire from some other shoppers hoping to buy American meat. «My kids love beef, and I'm very frustrated that I can't buy the U.S. beef because Korean beef is very expensive,» said Luis Felipe Maldauer, a 51-year-old Brazilian consumer at the store. «I hope to buy the U.S. beef because I think it's cheaper than the others.» But others were sympathetic to the protesters' cause. «Since there is an issue with mad cow disease, I hope customers would purchase more Korean beef. I think U.S. beef has problems,» said computer programmer Choi Kyu-min, 27.
