S. Korea allays US beef fears

South Korea's agriculture minister tried to assuage fears yesterday over US beef after the government agreed last month to resume imports following a lengthy ban over fears of mad cow disease.

"US beef is safe from mad cow disease," Chung Woon-chun said at a nationally televised news conference also attended by the health minister and other officials.

Chung, who heads the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, added that concerns about mad cow disease were "to some extent exaggerated".