South Korea Reaches Deal on U.S. Beef.

The article reports on the promise by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to speed up efforts to get his presidency back on track after reaching a modified deal with the U.S. on beef imports, an issue that raised protests. On June 20, 2008, the U.S. agreed to indefinitely permit South Korea to import U.S. beef only from cattle younger than 30 months, which is deemed to pose less risk of mad-cow disease. The protests against the original trade deal started over health concerns, but opposition politicians widened them into his policy agenda.