South Korea's Prime Minister Han Seung-soo (C) presides over a cabinet council meeting at the Integrated Government Complex in Seoul June 10, 2008. The entire South Korean cabinet Tuesday offered its resignation to President Lee Myung-Bak over U.S. beef dispute, Yonhap news agency reported. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    SEOUL, June 10 (Xinhua) -- The entire South Korean cabinet Tuesday offered its resignation to President Lee Myung-Bak over U.S. beef dispute, Yonhap news agency reported.

    The resignation offer came as a record 1 million people are expected to hold street rallies nationwide Tuesday night in protest against the Lee administration's U.S. beef import deal and other reform policies.

    Prime Minister Han Seung-soo tendered his and the cabinet's resignations over a weekly cabinet meeting to take responsibility for the intensifying political turmoil triggered by the government decision in mid-April to unconditionally lift a ban on U.S. beef imports.

    According to the report, Lee is expected to selectively accept the offers and replace half a dozen ministers involved in the U.S. beef import deal, including Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun and Finance Minister Kang Man-soo.

South Korea's Prime Minister Han Seung-soo leaves after a cabinet council meeting at the Integrated Government Complex in Seoul June 10, 2008. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Last Friday, all eight senior secretaries to the president offered to resign en masse, holding themselves responsible for the escalating dispute over the controversial beef deal.

    Beef from older cattle, which is regarded as posing the greatest risk of transmitting mad cow disease.

    As part of efforts to address the public fears over the disease, Lee had a phone conversation with U.S. President George W. Bush last Saturday, and both of them agreed to cooperate to ensure that U.S. beef from cattle older than 30 months is not exported to South Korea.

    However, hard-line civic activists and opposition parties still vowed to resist until Lee agrees to renegotiate the beef import deal with Washington to completely ban imports of all dangerous cattle byproducts, including intestines of younger cattle.

Massive labor strike looming in S Korea against U.S. beef imports

    SEOUL, June 9 (Xinhua) -- An umbrella labor union warned Monday that its members will likely launch an unlimited walkout next week and participate in the ongoing public protests against a U.S. beef agreement, Yonhap news agency reported. Full story

How far will U.S. beef imports issue ail ROK president?

    SEOUL, June 9 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has been ailed by escalating public protests over his administration's dealing with Washington to fully resume beef imports from the United States. Full story

S Koreans' protest against U.S. beef imports continues

    SEOUL, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Koreans scuffled with riot police in downtown Seoul until early Sunday morning as they tried to march on the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae to protest the U.S. beef import deal. Full story

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