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[wylies99]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/05/116_25062.html

Is 'Made in USA' Backlash Next?

By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter

The ongoing protest against American beef may develop into an anti-``Made in the USA'' product campaign.

``Let's boycott U.S.-made products,'' read one posting Friday on a popular Korean Internet portal. ``It's not just the Korean government that's pushing this import deal on Korean consumers. The American government is in on it. Let's boycott U.S. products,'' it continued. Such postings urging a boycott appeared following the government's announcement of the official resumption of beef imports, Thursday.

``Let's begin a campaign to boycott U.S. products. Boycott Hollywood movies! Don't wear Nike! Don't drink Starbucks coffee and stop going to McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC,'' read another Internet post.

U.S. companies with a business presence in Korea could suffer losses from the beef controversy if the campaign gains traction.

Choi In-ki, a top policymaker for the main opposition United Democratic Party, said last week during a National Assembly meeting that the U.S. government has nothing to gain if public resentment against its beef exports continues to build. The public backlash could expand to become an anti-U.S. products campaign, Choi told reporters.

Tami Overby, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, said the current backlash is based on inaccurate media reporting, which has misled many Koreans to believe that U.S. beef is not safe. ``America takes food safety very seriously and we eat the same beef we export so I find it puzzling that some people would use this misinformation about a technical food issue to leverage a political agenda into talking about boycotting products from a particular country.''

A number of major shopping centers and supermarket chains are announcing they will not carry American beef for the foreseeable future.

One of the largest supermarket chains in Korea, E-Mart, told The Korea Times that its stores will hold off on offering U.S. beef to consumers.

``We will continue to monitor the situation. We understand that the government has announced the resumption of importing American beef, but our stores won't sell it until we see some level of acceptance from the public. and a safety assurance regarding U.S. beef. This could take years,'' an E-Mart spokesman said. ``We will continue to sell beef from locally raised cattle and from Australia.''

Other major supermarket chains, including Lotte Mart and Home Plus, are also holding off on selling American beef, the E-Mart spokesman observed.

Fast-food restaurant chains, both U.S.-headquartered firms as well as Korean-based companies, are also making an effort to inform customers that they will not use controversial, imported U.S. beef.

Korean branch operations for McDonald's and Burger King have made announcements that their restaurants in Korea only use Australian beef products. ``Rest assured! We only use 100 percent Australian, New Zealand beef. We offer the best quality,'' an announcement on Burger King's Korean branch homepage stated.

The Outback Steakhouse, a U.S.-headquartered restaurant chain, and Lotteria, a Korea-based fast-food chain, have also announced they will not use American beef.

Earlier this month, Michael Hansen, a senior researcher from the U.S.-based Consumers Union, the publisher of ``Consumer Reports,'' told Korean media that the U.S. government is not doing enough to ensure the safety of American beef. He told KBS Radio that his group sees problems in both the U.S. government's inspection procedures as well as unsanitary conditions found in raising cattle in America. He said the Korean government should find effective ways to counter this problem.

Stephen Costello, a U.S.-based analyst and consultant on Korean affairs, is one of the Korea experts who have been monitoring the growing public backlash from abroad.

``President Lee may have been eager to accommodate U.S. interests regarding beef, but so was former President Roh Moo-hyun,'' he said. ``Most experts and government officials in Korea and the US have known for over a year that Korea would have to accommodate U.S. beef under some formula respecting international standards and also Korean food safety concerns.

``There is also some blame on the U.S. side due to our complex and less-than optimum safety structure regarding the U.S. cattle industry,'' Costello said.

``For the U.S., there may be more that beef producers can do to invite Korean media and inspectors in to assure them of safe procedures.

``It is easy to understand that many Koreans could have frustrations and anger over U.S. policies toward the Republic of Korea in recent years, and this seems to be part of the undercurrent surrounding today's debates,'' Costello added.

``But the U.S. now is in a responsible, practical, and problem-solving posture toward Korea. It would be unfortunate if the chance for long-term strategic agreements -- which greatly benefit Koreans as well as Americans -- were lost. There will soon be a new U.S. president, and he or she will make an assessment about how much can be accomplished with our longtime ally in Korea. So I hope we are able to get past the posturing and make some deals that will benefit everyone."

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[wylies99]

This is laughable.

I WISH there would be a boycott of Costco and Starbucks so the places wouldn't be so crowded all of the time.

Plus, don't they know how fast food works? It's ADDICTIVE. Let's see how long they can live without french fries, donuts, and fried chicken.

The protestors will stop at Starbucks on the way to the "Death to America" rally and stop at McDonalds on the way home from the rally.

[blaseblasphemener]

Somehow the image of "cattle raised in Korea" seems laughable to me. how in the hell does this country even have a cattle industry? It's like hearing "silk grown in Sweden" or something.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Once Hyundae and Kia, Samsung and LG hear about this, they will start an anti-boycott publicity campaign. They know their exports are heavily oriented to US trade and would not want to trigger a boycott of Korean products in the US.

[Hank the Iconoclast]

That's grand. The US can boycott Korean products. I wonder which one will hurt more..hmm.

[bassexpander]

Oh boy, if they start that one, things are going to get pretty bad economically around here.

I hope Koreans are smart enough to see that this is a communist movement most likely having something to do with those close to North Korea. There is little else they can do after their favorite candidates lost in the elections and their country is losing concessions.

[GoldMember]

In the Korea V's (Insert Country Name Here), Korea comes off as being the moron.

v's USA, when many Koreans were Morons with the girl run over incident, did the USA organized Korea boycotts-NO

v's Japan, in reagrd to Dokdo, It's Korea that's been the agressor

v's China, both equal morons, then again they are both Han people.

v's Vietnam, Korean brides aren't being abused.

v's Phillipines, It's the Filipino nationals in Korea that are mistreated not the other way around.

v's Canada, Canada doesn't demonize Korean nationals in the media.

When will we ever see mature, logical behavior.

[CentralCali]

Here is the first draft of an e-mail I intend to send to the headquarters of McDonald's back in the US. Please recommend any changes to clean it up or make it more effective in getting the point across. I have virtually no experience writing complaint letters. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Funny thing, though, is I don't eat meat. I'm still offended by the company's cowering.

[Scotticus]

[mindmetoo]

[RJjr]

I wonder how the boycott will affect the fake Starbucks in Cheonho with the big green neon sign. Also, I wonder if the girls at Starbutts in Itaewon will go lonely.

[jdog2050]

"Korea--Home of people destroying their own economy since forever"

[Adventurer]

If Americans found out a boycott took a strong hold in Korea, they would be more than happy to boycott Korean products like Samsung and buy Motorola, buy Ford instead of Kia or buy a Honda (Japanese) instead of
Japanese.

Those calling for a boycott are very, very, very, very stupid.
It's like they are asking Korea to commit suicide. Many countries don't import much from Korea. The US is Korea's biggest market, and the US doesn't need Korea. Anyway, McDonald's serves Australian beef. I prefer Australian beef. They don't use hormones. I would rather continental European beef, anyway, but I am not afraid to eat US beef.

Anyway, what is the US trying to do reassure the Korean people?

[Hank the Iconoclast]

[PeteJB]

They are only going to hurt their own economy by boycotting things. Also, no one outside of Korea will care, so it's basically like falling on your own sword.