Mad Cow Madness

I think it's finally time to say something about the mad cow disease madness here in South Korea. Ever since we arrived we've heard tidbits about it here and there, and I think I've finally figured it all out.

In 2003 South Korea banned all U.S. beef imports due to panic that followed one report of mad cow disease in the United States. South Korea had previously been the third largest international market for American beef exports.

But several months ago, Korea elected a new president, Lee Myung Bak. Lee worked out a deal with President Bush that would allow limited U.S. beef imports into Korea (only boneless beef from cattle not more than 30 months old). This deal sparked mass hysteria amongst Koreans, who began protesting all over the country. President Lee was forced to reshuffle his cabinet in an attempt to quell the rising anger against his administration.

Mad cow disease affects cattle that have been fed the remains of other cattle. The United States banned this practice in 1997. In the history of the mad cow epidemic, only three Americans have died from the disease believed to be linked to mad cow. Nevertheless, in September the U.S. agreed to allow South Korean officials to inspect American beef processing facilities. Beef exports resumed only after they gave their consent.

Several weeks ago, Katie and I were surprised to encounter a parade blocking a large main street near our apartment building. It turned out to be a U.S. beef protest. Soon all my kids were talking about it (often calling it "crazy cow", and laughing since they are all convinced that "crazy" is a bad word). Since Katie and I saw the protest here in Changwon, massive protests have occurred in Seoul, some turning violent.


A couple of my middle school students attended the above protest in Seoul. They explained to me that Lee Myung Bak is a terrible president, and that they don't want American beef. These same same students have no opinion whatsoever regarding the impoverished condition of North Korea, or the plight of North Koreans who escape into China. I don't blame the students, of course, but I think this serves to shed light on what is important to their parents.

Allow me to offer a little first-hand perspective regarding the issue. If you go to the store in Korea, with the intention of buying ground beef, you have basically two options: Korean beef and Australian beef. The Korean beef is obscenely expensive, perhaps $16/lb. No, I'm not joking. The Australian beef is more reasonably priced, though still expensive by U.S. standards. It is clear that the resumption of U.S. beef imports would drive down the cost of beef in Korea.


This is a photo of a protest involving an estimated 50,000 people, staged several days ago in Seoul. Several likely factors immediately come to mind regarding why Koreans aren't hip to the prospect of importing U.S. beef. First, they may not want to impede Korean beef sales. Korean beef is widely referred to as "pure", though the rumor among the foreign community is that it is not inspected. I have found many Koreans to be staunch cultural elitists. I was recently asked to proof-read an essay written by a 10-year-old. In his essay he stated that he wants to grow up to be a diplomat so that he can "show the superiority of Korean culture to other countries." I asked him if he really wanted to be a diplomat, and he confessed that his father made him write that part.

Second, Koreans eat relatively little beef, particularly when compared to the inordinate amount of pork they consume. Koreans are fond of boasting about their healthy diet and long life-expectancy. However, Korea (with an average life expectancy of 77.4 years) has now fallen behind the United States (currently at 78.1 years), not to mention a number of other Western countries -Canada, Australia, and England included.

And finally, many may simply find the excitement of getting caught up in the hysteria simply irresistible. Hysteria is something Koreans have developed into an art form. Take, for example, "fan death". According every Korean I have met, sleeping with a fan on in the same room is tantamount to sleeping next to an open gas spigot. Fan deaths are reported in the media each summer, and the validity of the phenomenon is acknowledged by the Korean government. However, Korea is the only country on earth where fan death occurs. Not one shred of scientific evidence exists in support of the concept. Wives-tales such as this abound in Korea, and the verdicts of science do not appear to dissuade anyone from believing them.


This last photo is of protesters in Seoul being gassed by the riot police. Hopefully this has served to provide a little insight into the mad wow controversy here in Korea. I'm not sure to what extent it has been covered in the U.S., but it has been big news for the past couple of months here.