U.S., S. Korean trade leaders open beef talks

WASHINGTON - The chief trade envoys for the United States and South Korea have launched talks meant to resolve a crisis over the resumption of American beef shipments that has paralyzed South Korea's pro-U.S. government.

The discussions between South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong Hoon, who flew into Washington on Friday, and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab were expected to continue over the weekend. Kim, speaking briefly to reporters after 21/2 hours of talks ended Friday night, said he was working to get effective measures to govern the beef trade.

Sean Spicer, spokesman for Schwab, said there was no timetable for the discussions. "We have a lot of issues to work out," Spicer said. "There's no quick fix to this." The South Korean Embassy said Kim's trip was "open-ended."

In Seoul on Friday, about 10,000 demonstrators gathered in front of City Hall, the latest of a series of antigovernment rallies that have clogged the streets of the capital for more than a month. The entire South Korean cabinet offered last week to resign to quell public outrage.

The Bush administration has floated one possible solution, saying it supports beef packaging labels that would show the ages of slaughtered cows. Kim has said he wants Washington to approve measures under which the beef industry would agree voluntarily not to ship meat from cattle older than 30 months, even though a recently settled U.S.-South Korean pact would allow such beef. Scientists think infection levels of mad cow disease increase with age.