U.S. Beef Row: South Korean Cabinet quits; 'million-man' march in Seoul
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 08:31AM 
South Korea’s Prime Minister and his entire cabinet offered to resign this morning as riot police across Seoul prepared the centre of the city for a night of mass demonstrations and violence.
Korean police – well used to the country’s often explosive political protests – raised their state of alert to the highest possible state as public feeling over the “mad cow” crisis threatened to spiral out of control.
The demonstration is timed to coincide with the 21st anniversary huge pro-democracy protests that shook the authoritarian regime of the time to its foundations and paved the way for the country’s first free elections.
Tuesday’s resignations follow more than a month of widespread protests throughout South Korea over government plans to re-start imports of American beef, which were suspended five years ago amid concerns over BSE. Washington has repeatedly asserted that its beef is safe, but ordinary Koreans remain deeply skeptical.
Barricades made from giant steel containers have been thrown up around the main squares in the centre of Seoul amid predictions that as many as 300,000 anti-US beef demonstrators would clash with both riot police and large numbers of pro-government conservatives. 20,000 armed police have reportedly been called-up to bring order to the streets.
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