Where’s The (US) Beef?

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Obviously not on Korean actress Kim Min-sun’s plate for some time because she has been sued by a U.S. beef importer for 300-million-won ($250,000) compensation “for allegedly misleading the public into a boycott of their product and damaging sales” according to an article in the Korea Times today.

You might recall or perhaps heard of the violent anti-US beef imports last year when most of the country had been led to believe that all US beef was infected with Mad Cow disease. Protesters hit the streets and some violent demonstrations took place all to protest the resumption of US beef imports.

As for the lawsuit that was filed with a court in Seoul, A-Meat, which specializes in U.S. beef, claimed that Kim’s acerbic comments, along with the biased reporting by a major television station about the beef, resulted in the loss of more than two billion won and the closure of 47 franchise stores nationwide.

Amid fierce debates and street protests over the South Korean government’s resumption of U.S. beef imports last year, Kim posted an article on her Web site where she stated that, “she’d rather drink potassium cyanide than eat U.S. beef and bones tainted with bovine spongiform encephalopathy virus.” Gee, I wonder if she just took this whole US beef issue a little too personal?

According to the article, her comment riled up consumers and “is said to have led many other celebrities to speak up against the imports.” In fact, some fast food restaurants like Mickey D’s had to insure customers that their beef was not from the US but Australia.

Well, looks like it’s payback time for Ms Kim with this lawsuit that was filed this week. According to the head of A-Meat, “Due to Kim’s ignorant comments, people refused to eat U.S. beef and she damaged our business.”

It’ll be interesting to see when US beef, or in this case A-Meat has its day in court. Wonder if Ronald McDonald will be called to testify?