WORLD> Asia-Pacific
US offers revised proposal on beef to S. Korea
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-17 14:27

SEOUL  -- The United States presented a " revised proposal" to South Korea during their unofficial meeting on the impasse over the resumption of US beef exports to South Korean, according to News Agency Yonhap Tuesday.

In Washington, South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon held talks with US Trade Representative Susan Schwab since Friday to win a concession that could ease public concerns over American beef, which many South Koreans believe is susceptible to mad cow disease.

The pending resumption of US beef imports has triggered huge anti-government demonstrations in South Korea.

"The revised proposal was brought by Schwab in an unofficial meeting on the afternoon of June 16 (Washington time) with Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon," a South Korean government official told Yonhap on the condition of anonymity.

"Although there are some improvements in the revised proposal, it is still far from our expectation," the official said, declining to elaborate on details of the US proposal.

The two sides will extend talks on Tuesday (Washington time) after they agreed that more time is needed to review technical parts, South Korean trade ministry said in a statement.