A woman holds a candle during an anti-government rally demanding the renegotiation of the beef deal with U.S., in front of the city hall in Seoul May 30, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    SEOUL, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Koreans held a candlelight vigil in downtown Seoul on Tuesday, calling the government's compromise to ban beef imports from older U.S. cattle a "stopgap measure" and demanding a complete renegotiation with Washington.

    Referring to Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun's announcement that Seoul has asked the U.S. not to export meat from cattle over 30 months old, the People's Association for Measures Against Mad Cow Disease said in a statement, "We strongly point out the agricultural minister's announcement today was just a deceptive stopgap measure to temporarily avoid public resistance."

    Seoul made a shift from its original accord with Washington that fully lifted the age limit. "Because the public is most concerned about meat from cattle over 30 months old, we have asked the United States not to export that kind," Minister Chung said.

    Still, protesters said the government compromise fell far short of their demands.

    In their proposed guidelines, civic groups and experts call on the government to allow only boneless beef from cattle younger than 20 months old, a quarantine regulation imposed by Japan.

    Meanwhile, the top U.S. envoy in Seoul ruled out the possibility of a renegotiation.

    "We have said many times, we don't see any need for renegotiation of the agreement since it is based on science," Ambassador Alexander Vershbow told reporters after his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan.

    More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition asking the Constitutional Court to nullify Seoul's planned resumption of U.S. beef imports.

    It was sensitive timing in Korea, ahead of the sixth anniversary next week of the deaths of two middle school girls killed by a U.S. armored vehicle in 2002. Koreans then held massive protests with candles, leading U.S. President George W. Bush to express regret. Their candlelight vigils have since became a popular method of peaceful protest in the country.