Kim Min Sun (from "Young Jae Golden Days" and "Antique Bakery") has been sued for $250,000 by a U.S. beef importer for her involvement in the protest against U.S. beef imports that plagued Korea last year.
The company, A-Meat, which specializes in U.S. beef, claims that the 29-year-old actress misled the public into a boycott of their product on MBC's investigative program "PD Notebook." The company said Kim allegedly made comments that led the Korean public into a frenzy about U.S. beef, causing damages to the sales and a series of protests in the country's capital that disrupted businesses and traffic for months.
She also is reported to have posted an article on her website, saying that she would "rather drink up potassium cyanide that eat U.S. beef and bones tainted with bovine spongiform encephalopathy virus (mad cow disease)," according to Korean press.
The company had to shut down 47 franchise stores nationwide, which inflicted more than $2 million dollars in losses after the comments in the TV program and on the website.
U.S. beef imports have caused controversy in Korea since last year when President Lee Myung Bak quickly ushered through a trade agreement that made it easier for the U.S. to sell beef in Korea, hoping to slip it under the radar of the general public.
Many consumers were worried that lax health restrictions would allow beef inflicted with mad cow disease into the country. Also, they worried about the effect cheaper American beef would have on the local beef industry. They staged several large candlelight protests in Seoul, which remained largely peaceful despite causing huge disruptions in daily life in the areas. However, some attacks on foreigners by disgruntled protesters were reported.
The show "PD Notebook" is facing its own trial after it was discovered that the show "fabricated" and "twisted" key facts in order to sensationalize the issue.
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