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SEOUL: Thousands of protesters rallied in the South Korean capital on Friday to denounce the decision to resume US beef imports as the government struggled to dispel a growing scare over mad cow disease.
"Send mad cows to the Blue House!" crowds chanted at a Seoul city centre candlelit rally, referring to President Lee Myung-Bak's official residence.
Police estimated the crowd in Seoul at 10,000, and said rallies were also held in 10 other cities. No crowd estimates were available outside the capital.
"Let's protect our kids (from mad cows)," read one banner.
The South Korean and US governments say the risk of mad cow disease from US beef is infinitesimal. But they have been unable to persuade protesters, inspired often by Internet rumours and anonymous text messages.
"This is the third time for me to take part in a candlelit vigil. I think we have to protect our kids from mad cow perils," said a mother in her early 30s, spreading a plastic sheet on the pavement for her two small children.
Lee is also under pressure from political opponents.
Three opposition parties urged his government to delay the resumption of US beef imports, planned for next week, and demanded renegotiation of the accord with the United States which opened up the market.
The parties have agreed to jointly introduce a parliamentary motion to press for the resignation of the agriculture minister, Chung Woon-Chun.
They also jointly called for a parliamentary probe into allegations that the government rushed into a beef deal ahead of Lee's first summit with President George W. Bush last month.
On the eve of the summit, Seoul agreed to lift its intermittent ban on US beef, which was imposed in 2003 over mad cow concerns.
Opening the beef market is an essential precondition for US approval of a separate free trade pact.
The main opposition United Democratic Party said it would seek a court injunction next week to suspend the resumption of imports.
Lee's conservative government, which has a parliamentary majority, has been striving to counter the online and street protests citing mad cow disease concerns.
Lee has accused opponents of the free trade pact of spreading scare stories about the dangers of US beef. His government has promised to halt imports should any new mad cow case be reported in the United States.
Even so, a web petition calling for Lee's impeachment has received 1.2 million signatures. Opinion surveys quoted by newspapers showed his support rate has plunged to between 25 and 29 percent, a record low for a new president.
"The debate over mad cow disease, which has shaken the nation for the past week, must end," the JoongAng Daily said in an editorial. "We shouldn't waste our time and resources on an issue that has no substance."
- AFP/so
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