After months of protests and two delays, South Korea finally lifted the ban on American beef Thursday.

 

But the face-off between the protesters and the riot police is unlikely to end, as hundreds of trade union activists tried to block the move.

 

They gathered at 17 storage facilities which contain 5,300 tonnes of frozen beef waiting to be distributed to South Koreans, who used to be the world's third-largest consumers of American beef.

 

"Our fight has begun today to frustrate any distribution of US beef products in the country," spokesman Woo Moon Sook from the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions told Agence France-Presse Thursday.

 

The decision to allow the imports is the latest development in a saga which has rocked South Korea for the past two months.

 

There have been daily candlelight vigils which at times have attracted tens of thousands.

Riot policemen sleep on a road as protesters hold an overnight demonstration against the US beef import deal on the road leading to the presidential Blue House and the US embassy in Seoul June 27, 2008. [Agencies]

 

The protesters took issue with the government's deal with the United States in April to allow the unconditional return of American beef over fears of mad-cow disease.

 

South Korea had banned American beef after the disease broke out in the US in 2003.

 

In the face of strong domestic opposition, the entire Cabinet had offered to resign while President Lee Myung Bak apologised twice to the nation for the uproar.

 

Last week, Seoul managed to work out an additional agreement with Washington. It now allows beef only from cattle under 30 months old, which are deemed to be less at risk of mad cow disease.

 

In the wake of the new clause, the US has been urging South Korea to honour its commitment to re-import American beef.

 

"The additional agreement with Washington may not be perfect but the government did its best to safeguard the people's health," said Prime Minister Han Seung Soo in a televised statement Thursday in an attempt to dissuade the people from staging further protests.

 

However, detractors have vowed to fight until Seoul completely renegotiates the April deal.

 

The government has pledged to take a tough stance against the protests, which may jeopardise a free trade deal with the US.

 

"The government will not tolerate further violent protests that seek to oust a democratically elected government," said Han.

 

While the number of candlelight vigil participants has dwindled in recent days, some of the protesters have come to blows with riot police.

 

On Wednesday night, about 5,000 people clashed with riot police in central Seoul, who used water cannon and fire extinguishers to disperse the crowds.

 

There were injuries on both sides and police arrested about 140 people.

 

Major supermarkets here have said they will not sell US beef until the controversy ends.

 

"We will not sell US beef products at our outlets for the time being, given the public health concerns," said a spokesman for E-Mart, the country's largest discount retailer.