On November 7, 2005, Anna Fifield contributed the story in Seoul for
Financial Times on the sour relations between Seoul and Beijing on
kimchi.
Read the article in
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/80e90938-4f33-11da-9947-0000779e2340.html
An outline of the article:
* "I used to buy kimchi but from now on I'm going to make it
myself," said Choi Seung-eun, a reluctant customer at Lotte.
"I worry about kimchi these days."
* Last month Korean food inspectors said kimchi from China
had high levels of lead and was contaminated with parasite
eggs that appeared to come from human waste. With not
enough cabbages for their needs, South Korea im****ts about
$40m (=8033m, =A322m) worth of kimchi from China each year.
* Beijing retaliated by claiming that some Korean-made kimchi
was infested with parasites. To Koreans' chagrin, their own
Food and Drug Administration this week confirmed roundworm
eggs had been found in 16 brands accounting for about 5 per
cent of kimchi sales.
* The kimchi crisis is fast escalating into a diplomatic incident.
Beijing has banned 10 Korean food im****ts and are testing
Korean-made plastic wrap for carcinogens.
* "I hope the issue will not escalate into a trade conflict between
South Korea and China," said Ban Ki-moon, South Korea's
foreign minister. Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to
visit Seoul before the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum
later in November.
* "Five years ago Korea slapped a 315 per cent tariff on Chinese
garlic, which prompted Beijing to retaliate 10 times over", said
Profession Choi Byung-il on international trade.
* Park Chae-lin, curator of Pulmuone Kimchi Museum, was not
so worried. He said in that past (Korean) consumers only cared
about the price but not the quality. Now people will be keen on
kimchi health.
|
