Following Thursday's announcement by the South Korean government that final regulations were ready and U.S. beef would be allowed into the country this week, the opposition political parties filed lawsuits to obtain an injunction against U.S. beef. They also called for the resignation of the Cabinet.
The organization Lawyers for a Democratic Society have been circulating an online petition asking the Korean Constitutional Court to stop the government from allowing U.S. beef into the country. Since Friday more than 65,000 signatures have been gathered.
Several rallies and protests were held over the weekend. A rally of more than 38,000 in Seoul escalated into violence when they attempted to march on the presidential residence. More than 500 demonstrators were arrested.
The South Korean Agriculture Ministry announced Monday it would delay the final administrative steps needed to allow the resumption of U.S. beef imports. A deal to allow the importation of U.S. beef into South Korea was brokered on April 18, with imports to resume in mid-May, but opposition party politics and sensationalized stories in the media have repeatedly delayed implementation.
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