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S Korea beef protesters detained | S Korea beef protesters detained |
(9 minutes later) | |
South Korean police have clashed with demonstrators in the capital Seoul during protests over government plans to resume US beef imports. | |
They fired water cannon and arrested more than 200 of the protesters, who say the move does not protect consumers against mad cow disease. | |
At least 20,000 people gathered in Seoul for the latest in a month-long series of rallies on the issue. | |
Polls say the popularity of President Lee Myung-Bak has plummeted. | |
The worst clashes occurred when some protesters tried to march toward the presidential residence, the Blue House. | |
Police deployed water cannon in three areas to try to disperse the crowds. Dozens of people were hurt. | |
Washington deal | |
Seoul's beef market was closed to US imports in 2003 after the first US case of the disease was found in a Canadian-born cow in Washington state. | Seoul's beef market was closed to US imports in 2003 after the first US case of the disease was found in a Canadian-born cow in Washington state. |
Under a deal reached with Washington in April, Seoul agreed to accept all cuts of US beef from cattle of all ages. | |
Other US trading partners such as Japan still will not do so because of concerns over mad cow disease and its deadly human variant, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. | |
The deal was announced during a visit to the US by President Lee, and was described by his critics as a move to please Washington. | |
Reports say the reaction to the deal has taken him by surprise. | |
Mr Lee took office in February on a wave of popularity, vowing to improve the economy. | |
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