The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Seoul

South Korea will resume US beef imports which were suspended early this month after inspectors discovered banned bones in one shipment, officials said on Friday.

The Agriculture Ministry said it would resume quarantine inspections of US beef next Monday, removing a potential irritant in trade relations.

A spokesman said Washington in a leter had admited that the shipment of backbones and ribs-designated as risk material for mad cow disease-had been sent by mistake.

"However, we will maintain a ban on US beef processing centres that shipped banned bones," he said.

US beef imports have been suspended several times since South Korea last year relaxed a three-year total ban imposed to keep out mad cow disease. At present, it is willing to accept only boneless meat

The beef issue is a sensitive one in trade relations with Washington. South Korea was once the third largest market for US beef, with imports worth 850 million dollars a year before 2003.

A sweeping free trade deal signed by the two countries on June 30 must be ratified by both the US Congress and South Korea's National Assembly. Opposition among US legislators to the pact could intensify unless the beef market reopens.