American beef causes Alzheimer’s, say South Korean Web users

21/05/2008 / SOUTH KOREA

American beef causes Alzheimer’s, say South Korean Web users

A frenzy of South Korean Internet users has convinced the nation through Web postings and text messages that Americans were sending beef infected with mad cow — so dangerous that the Americans refused to eat it — to the country, mobilising thousands to protest. A blogger in the country explains why.

The rumours started when President Lee Myung-bak signed a deal in April with the United States to lift a ban on American imported beef, after it had been forbidden in 2003 following a outbreak of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The USA offered the country a sweeping free trade pact if they agreed to import the beef, worth 850 million US dollars (542 million euros) a year to the USA. An online campaign soon ensued in South Korea, warning shoppers that American beef was so dangerous that the Americans themselves were eating Australian and Canadian products and sending their own abroad. Children were advised not to go to school because of high contagion risks, and warnings given that mad cow disease was a cause of Alzheimer's.

The country's president of only three months, Lee Myung-bak, was blamed for supposedly giving in under US pressure over the agreement. This weekend, the frenzy reached its peak, with tens of thousands of people demonstrating with banners reading "Don't sell mad cow!" and "Out with Lee Myung-bak!" Faced with the objections, the South Korean government today announced that it would effectively ban imports of US beef from cattle older than 30 months.

Contributors

Sehyon Joh

Ten thousand people demonstrated in a candle-lit vigil on Friday. Posted here.

This banner has become the main symbol of protest. It reads: "Our house is against the importation of diseased beef."

Other photos of the banner hung outside various houses were posted here.

"What makes us so gullible?"

Blogger and retired journalist Sehyon Joh writes from Seoul:

[These] groundless, unproven, even downright false, allegations ... are being circulated by nameless, faceless and irresponsible "Netizens", scaring a lot of people, especially young impressionable middle and high school students. The broadcast media as well as political propagandists using the Internet are also whipping up a new wave of anti-American sentiment.

I am curious why Korean demonstrators, especially young protesters, hit the streets with lighted candles the minute they come across a political issue with an anti-American angle to it. Recalling the term "candle light vigil", I wonder if they are trying to add some religious fervor to their protest. Perhaps they want to attach a romantic connotation. Or maybe they were encouraged by — or even in collusion with — candle manufacturers.

Whatever the reason, demonstrators in the tens of thousands came out of their homes and lit candles once again to protest beef imports from the United States. One well-known actress went so far as to write on her homepage that she would rather swallow a capsule of cyanide than mad cow beef. But South Korea is a free country. [...]

Does this mean that we Koreans are such a gullible people that we can only react when the biased media and some unconscionable politicians and entertainers spread groundless rumors and unalloyed lies? [...] What makes us so gullible? Are we so collectively naive or stupid that we can easily be manipulated and swayed by politicians or other interest groups? I don't think so."

Sehyon Joh

Korea (South)
Editor

Français

Comments

The beef and stupidity

Submitted by Evan (not verified) on Sun, 24/08/2008 - 10:08.

I am a guy from Iowa, which in case you don't know is in the middle of the USA and in the heart of farm country. The rumor that beef is unhealthy here is for the most part untrue.....it's not gonna give you alzheimers, it's not gonna give you mad cow disease, it's not gonna cause you to grow extra limbs(I know no one has said this but you are treating it like it is toxic waste)....the only way this beef that the USDA highly monitors now will be unhealthy for you is if you eat a ton of it you probably will gain a lot of weight. Being from Iowa I have friends that are cattle farmers. I even buy half a bull every year. You know what I don't have alzheimers or mad cow disease, the amount that is found when they have an "outbreak" is ussually about 50 total cases in the cows. Every year 20 out of about the 25 million.. to give you an idea thats about 1 in every 150000. When they do find a cow that has the disease such as this that cant be treated or is so harmful to humans, we all the cows that have been raised with it and burn the corpses(kills the disease). I will say that before these protests, my friends and I had decided to go to Korea for snowboarding and skiing this winter. After seeing these protests we decided that a place this anti-american would not be right for us and decided to go to Northern Japan. Honestly if the Koreans dislike us this much we should remove all our troops and not help when the north finally invades now that we arent there to protect the south. You can say oh this is only about the beef, its not, so as my grandfather who fought in korea says "F$%k um, if they hate us so much"

Unregistered user

Regardless of rumors around

Submitted by Anonyme (not verified) on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 17:59.

Regardless of rumors around the level of danger of Mad Cow Beef, we shouldn't take it for granted that it's not dangerous. I dare you try a piece of it! Can brave Mr.Lee make sure 100% imported beef are safe? Will he die if one of his citizens dies because of his policy?. Only people who are individualism and self-important like you think that short :)

Unregistered user

oh and you say you don't

Submitted by Anonyme (not verified) on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 18:01.

oh and you say you don't understand why they take the candlelit with them? you should spend some more time or at least ask a Korean about it :). How ridiculous you are imagining it as "romanticism" :))

Unregistered user

Mad Cows

Submitted by Patrick Carroll (not verified) on Sat, 31/05/2008 - 13:42.

Right on Sehyon! It has always distrubed me how eager many people seem to be to swallow whatever is fed to them. In this case they should be less worried about bad beef and more worried about bad information. This is simply another in a long line of irresponsible ultra-nationalist, small minded demagogeries that is really an embarrasment to Koreans. Every few months this type of thing happens. One month it is rotten dumplings from China, and then the next month it is Chinese Kimchi filled with rat droppings, then it is foreogn cosmetics that damage Korean skin. The wonder to me is how nothing "Made in Korea" is ever found harmful. Now if only more of these students spent more time studying and reading and less time drinking and going on MT then they wouldn't be the mad cows that the country SHOULD be worried about.

Unregistered user

True!

Submitted by Charles (not verified) on Wed, 21/05/2008 - 20:13.

It is true that most American beef is very unhealthy and disease causing! The South Koreans are smart enough to realize it! Now Americans should smarten up!

Unregistered user

unbelievable

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sun, 29/06/2008 - 06:39.

Wow. true or not it is the perception that counts.

America beef is safe. It is amazing that the South Koreans actually believe there is something wrong with it. There is obviously someone very smart who has spread these rumor (for their own interests) and is laughing about it now.

I have got to say though it sure makes the South Koreans look very dumb...

Unregistered user

Do You Have A Mental Handicap or Just SINFUL pride in your self

Submitted by Anonyme (not verified) on Mon, 09/06/2008 - 10:19.

Your right koreans are so smart by identifing americans selling bad beef that its consumed all over america and in other countries. America has a regulation on its food, but last time i check, Korea was feeding its own People chicken that was found to have Avian Flu, and it took the American Army to find that Out, but no, no, your right, you must be right cause your Korean you dumb shmuck.

Unregistered user

It isn't true. Simply

Submitted by Anonyme (not verified) on Tue, 27/05/2008 - 19:55.

It isn't true. Simply asserting that it is true doesn't constitute a thoughtful argument.

Unregistered user

It's going beyond the beef import thing

Submitted by Anonyme (not verified) on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 06:32.

Im a Korean(student) , not good at english
but I feel I have to say something here
True or Not True thing that you guys are talking is exactly up to a current of science. (Nobody knows what is correct.)
The point We Korean are down on now is polictical thing.
I mean the attitude Korean Government's taking toward people and U.S.
For half a century, Korea underwent all sorts of political hardships. Japanese colonialism, Korean war, military government by U.S., Pro-Japanese group who centralized the power, military dictatorship, major conservative press.....
What made republic of Korea was always an antigovernment demonstration.
There's a particular political tradition in Korea.
Simply, Never trust in the government.
We're not idiots believing unscientific things.
(Actually, we discuss all over like the system of science, the possible danger according to relationship of science and politics and the sanitary problem covered up...)
We're just in course of confronting a problem that always has been in korean society taking this (beef import) opportunity.
I think thesedays are very hardful but also positive.
like any thosedays.