6/11/08 from “North Korea welcomes U.S. food aid” (cnn.com)
The US is in operations to deliver 500,000 tons of food to North Korea. Talks between the US and N. Korea have been successful and aid is expected to begin shipment this month. Concerns by US that food would not be used effectively have been eased by agreements that the UN will monitor deliveries. Alternatively, the N. Korean government has been assured that utilizing the UN will prevent the US from spying on the country. The food is desperately needed in the country to feed the 23 million residents. Recent and past natural disasters have limited the countries already dwindling food supply. Furthermore, S. Korea has begun to enforce stricter restraints on relations with its Northern counterpart, leading to threats by the North to refuse future assistance. The aid has also come only recently after the countries nuclear disarmament and release of nuclear testing information to the United States. US officials claim that the aid is in no way related to the nuclear actions.
I am excited to see aid going into the country. I find the timing in relation to the nuclear issue a little funny; either way, the fact that they have closed their nuclear program is a good thing. The article also mentioned that the aid was a gesture by the US to show our natural good will. I don’t think we are naturally good willed, but I think we are doing the right thing.
6/11/08 from “More talks planned over S. Korean beef crisis” (cnn.com)
In April of this year Trade officials from the US and South Korea met to negotiate resuming beef imports from the US. Since 2003, over concerns of mad cow disease, US beef has been banned for sale in South Korea. The recent trade deal was scheduled for completion earlier this month; however, the final aspects of the agreement were halted after protests broke out in Seoul. Thousands of protesters filled the streets of the South Korean capital last week. Concerns that the US imported beef may potentially be infected with mad cow disease has lead to heated, and occasionally violent, protest demonstrations. Organizers of the protests called for Korean citizens to oppose the trade agreements, stating that the deal could lead to infected meat being imported into the country. Protests have been staged day and night and have caused for many top government officials to offer letters of resignation to the Korean president. Often, in times of increased public discontent, top officials will offer to resign in order to avoid being tied to negative political issues. The newly appointed president, Lee Myung-bak, has taken heavy criticism over the ordeal and is not faring well with his new public. The president’s current strategy for saving the trade agreement is to demand that only beef from cattle younger than thirty months old be imported into the country. This concept is based off of FDA studies that suggest that younger cattle have a lower risk of infection.
The question that arises in my mind is why are we trying to export beef to Korea and at the same time trying to import beef from South America? I understand that there is a cost difference, i.e. we sell the US beef at higher prices and buy the South American beef at lower prices, but wouldn’t it be easier if we didn’t have to ship it to the other side of the globe? Another question I have is why are Americans eating beef that Koreans won’t even touch? This is a perfect example why people should be seriously thinking about eating locally grown organic goods.
