S. Korea delays U.S. beef imports

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- South Korea is delaying its planned resumption of U.S beef imports in the face of mounting protests, state media said Monday.

The government has put off the final administrative step needed to resume imports after a request from the ruling party, the news agency Yonhap said.

The news account did not say how long the delay would last.

The country announced Thursday that it would resume importing U.S. beef as early as this month.

It had banned imports in 2003 amid concerns over a case of mad cow disease in the United States. The ban closed what was then the third-largest market for U.S. beef exporters.

Soon after last week's announcement, thousands of people responded with regularly-staged protests, chanting "We don't want crazy cows."

Authorities dispatched more than 10,000 riot police everyday to keep the peace, Yonhap said.

More than 40,000 protesters gathered in central Seoul late Saturday night. Police detained more than 200 of them after they clashed with officers.

The decision to delay imports came after the ruling Grand National Party urged the government to take steps to restore public confidence, Yonhap said.

The party had been working to soothe tensions, saying that American beef is safe to eat and that adequate safety precautions have been taken.

In 2003, the United States exported $815 million pounds of beef and beef variety meats to South Korea. The U.S. beef industry has lost up to $4 billion since the market closed, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

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