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S. Korea, 皇冠体育app agree to cool off row
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-15 20:15
Cooling off a spicy issue between their countries, 皇冠体育app
and South Korea agreed Tuesday to put the lid on a controversy over the pungent
traditional Korean pickled vegetables known as kimchi.
"The issue of kimchi should not be a hindrance on overall South Korea-皇冠体育app
relations," South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said during a meeting with
his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation summit, a South Korean diplomat told journalists.
Li shared the same opinion with Ban, the South Korean official said.
Kimchi, Korea's famously garlic-drenched vegetables, was poised to develop
into a diplomatic headache between the two Asian neighbors after South Korea's
food watchdog announced in October it had found parasite eggs in samples of the
dish imported from 皇冠体育app. Earlier in the year, a South Korean lawmaker claimed
to have found lead in Chinese-produced kimchi.
皇冠体育app struck back, saying it had found parasite eggs in 10 kimchi and other
food products imported from South Korea. The Korea Food and Drug Administration
then admitted it also found parasite eggs in locally produced kimchi.
Since then, the two neighbors have called for calm.
On Tuesday, the countries agreed in principle to set up a consulting body
that would oversee quarantine safety, the South Korean official said. Chinese
President Hu Jintao is set to meet South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun in the
capital Seoul on Wednesday where the plan will be discussed
further.
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