;

After suffering through a dinner with beef supplied by Australia in Seoul last year, I suspect that Koreans are as happy  about this news as we in the US are.

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea on Friday agreed to open up to U.S. beef imports after Washington pledged to raise safety standards, boosting prospects for a sweeping trade deal ahead of a summit between leaders of the allies later in the day.

It removes a big obstacle to U.S. congressional approval of the trade deal, the biggest since the North American Free Trade Agreement went into force in 1994, and should brighten the atmosphere as leaders prepare to discuss North Korea's nuclear ambitions, trade and military cooperation.

South Korea's farm ministry said in a statement that imports of U.S. beef will be expanded gradually and it would allow in bone-in beef from cattle under 30 months as a first step.

Beef from cattle older than 30 months can come in once U.S. safety standards are improved.

Once the third-largest import market for U.S. beef, South Korea imposed a blanket ban on American imports in 2003 following an outbreak of mad cow disease in the United States. It later eased the ban by allowing imports of boneless beef from cattle younger than 30 months.

The agreement comes just hours before South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, in the United States on his first overseas trip since taking office in February, meets U.S. President George W. Bush at the Camp David presidential retreat.

Thanks,  Kirk for sending me this article.