South Koreans protest beef ban's lifting

SEOUL, June 28 (UPI) -- Protesters in South Korea are calling on Seoul to reinstate its ban on U.S. beef imports, organizers say.

Yonhap reported Saturday that about 1,700 civic organizations spearheading the vigils said tens of thousands of people were expected at a rally Saturday.

South Korea lifted a ban on U.S. beef imports Thursday after the United States agreed June 21 not to export beef from cattle older than 30 months, the news agency reported.

South Korea imposed a blanket ban on U.S. beef in December 2003 after a case of mad cow disease was discovered in the United States.

It opened its market to boneless U.S. beef from cattle under 30 months old in April 2007, but halted all quarantine inspections in October after repeatedly finding banned bone fragments in packages.

Protesters say South Korea's new conservative government, in its agreement with the United States, has failed to implement safeguards against mad cow disease.

The planned candlelight vigils came as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Seoul.