No breakthrough for Koreans in US agriculture talks

The South Korean government said it ended talks with the US with no immediate breakthrough on resolving the country’s crisis over renewing imports of American beef.

South Korea is asking that US exporters send meat only from younger cattle, considered less at risk of mad cow disease, despite an April agreement that makes no such restrictions.

South Korea’s government agreed in April to reopen its market for US beef, scrapping nearly all quarantine regulations.

However, protesters say it does not adequately protect against mad cow disease and have put intense pressure on the pro-US government of President Lee Myung-bak to change the import deal or resign.