S.Korea warns of crackdown on beef protesters

The South Korean government vowed yesterday to crack down on street protests after daily candlelit rallies against President Lee Myung-bak's decision to resume imports of US beef turned into a violent clash with police.

Critics say the deal could expose South Koreans to mad cow disease from infected beef.

The dispute over US beef imports has wider implications because it could derail a separate free-tradeive deal between the two countries that studies said would boost two-way trade by $20 billion annually.