Comments on: Here’s the Beef

By: Chris Fuerth

Chris Fuerth — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:19:05 +0000

I lived in Sulch’un, Cheonbuk province in 1998. I remember buying 500 g of sirloin for a dinner with some friends at the local butcher and paying 18 000 won (about $20 at the time). From then on I only purchased pork, and when I think back to the big dishes (sam gyup ssal, bulgogi, etc.) people ate when they went out, you only got beef if you were paying the big bucks.

Although I admire Korean’s spirit for not laying down and taking it (as we do, for instance, by continuing to buy Fisher Price toys after they knowingly manufactured them with lead paint), one would think they could just end the issue by protesting with their wallets.

I remember, during the IMF years, seeing pictures of Koreans handing in their gold jewelery to be melted down and donated to — who knows?? The federal treasury? This is a country where grassroots campaigns sweep the entire populace. If Koreans just stopped buying beef, there’d be no need to import it.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:34:31 +0000

Let’s be fair here - Joel has not stated his OWN opinion of beef’s safety or lackthereof, he has simply given a report on the opinions of OTHERS. To say that he is doing a disservice to readers is ludicrous (to steal a word from “ankaralif’s” response), as he is reporting on what is going on around him (the essence of this blog, I believe).

In fact, Joel states that “The background suggests that public health is really only a red herring…in a debate that has more to do with Korea’s historically complicated relationship to the US.” It is not Joel’s intent to communicate his feelings on the validity of American beef importing (something he would have a right to do, by the way, as a resident of Korea), only to give us an idea of the particulars of the situation.

Clearly there are strong feelings on this subject. I would suggest that the best remedy for intense American beef anxiety is a dose of meat reality - Many cows and chickens are fed other animals, and pigs live in their own crap. We take a chance every time we indulge in our carnivorous yearnings.

I’m off to eat a steak…or perhaps a vegetarian. I hear they’re safe.

By: The Walrus Blogs » Lee Myung-bak: Over the Coals » World Famous in Korea

The Walrus Blogs » Lee Myung-bak: Over the Coals » World Famous in Korea — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:28:11 +0000

[...] commenters have suggested that, in my previous post, I failed to cut to the bone of the beef matter by not explicitly declaring the public health issue [...]

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:05:03 +0000

While I think the previous post’s tone is a little harsh I too am curious about the ‘root’ of the issue. I live in America and eat American beef on a pretty regular basis. Is the beef really that risky? I mean, is there some info that I haven’t seen that points to American beef as a cause of disease or health problems? I am curious because the Mad Cow thing was a not a very big issue in America, in fact with the new Korean protests occurring this is the first that I have heard of the issue since Japan relaxed restrictions a couple years ago.

Anyone out there, especially in Korea with any insight on this please post or link to info about the health issues, I would love to know more about this. Also, if there are other issues at hand that are just coming out in these protests what are those issues?

By: ankaralif

ankaralif — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:37:51 +0000

Disturbing photos and your post does a nice job of showing how badly the government has mangled this issue. But it would be helpful if you said a little bit more about their beef. It’s ludicrous. Your line about eating pork is cute but certainly not based on any kind of scientific rationale; it’s a disservice to your readers for you not to mention anywhere that this whole thing has nothing to do with beef, that American beef is perfectly safe (it was only one case of BSE that caused the import ban, and that animal had never made it onto the supermarket shelves). Americans eat striking amounts of beef every day and there has not been a single case of Creutzfeld-Jacob’s disease in America caused by an American animal. Not one! This has absolutely nothing to do with public health and it is irresponsible for any news agency, reporter, or blogger to imply otherwise. Malaria, HIV, Tuberculosis, avian influenza: those are real public health concerns but Creutzfeld-Jakob’s coming from American beef is not. Please, do your readers a favor and spread the news.

P.S. No, I am not in the beef industry and stand to make absolutely no personal gain from this issue. I’m just a student who lives in Turkey and is interested in science and reason.