Seoul - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak on Thursday apologized for the second time in less than a month for a decision to lift a ban on US beef imports, which sparked weeks of mass protests over fears of mad cow disease. "I should have paid attention to what people want," he said at a news conference.
The protesters in Seoul have recently begun to also call for the resignation of the conservative president, who has led the country since late February.
Lee assured South Koreans that the government would not allow US beef from cattle more than 30 months old into the country. Cattle over that age are seemed at higher risk for mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a brain-wasting illness that can be transmitted to people who eat infected meat.
Lee, however, said his government would not accede to demands by the public for a renegotiation of the beef agreement with the United States, arguing it would damage the South Korean economy.
South Korea banned US beef imports in 2003 after the first of three case of mad-cow disease was discovered in the United States. In mid-May, Lee's government decided to lift the ban, which was considered a condition for the ratification of a South Korean-US free trade agreement by the US Congress.
Lee, whose approval ratings have fallen below 20 per cent in many polls, announced that he would reshuffle his cabinet and staff. The cabinet offered to resign last week over the beef crisis.
