South Korea-Less resistance to American beef.

SOUTH KOREA-PUBLIC OPINION MORE RELAXED ON HEATH ISSUES IN RECESSION.

South Korea’s second-largest retailer said it will resume sales of U.S. beef early next month, according to Korean media reports.

The decision by Shinsegae Co. comes five years after the company shelved U.S. beef following the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in a cow in the state of Washington in December 2003.

The move also comes a year after Seoul agreed to relax import restrictions on U.S. beef, which was met with some pushback from the public due to lingering BSE fears.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Meat Export Federation reported that it has teamed with the Nebraska Beef Council to promote U.S. short ribs in Korea’s Lotte Mart stores. The special promotion through March features tasting events at 18 of the chain’s 63 locations, with advertising placements in the local dailies and commuter tabloids.