SKorea's parliament to open after beef boycott ends

SEOUL (Thomson Financial) - South Korean legislators are set to open parliament after a weeks-long opposition boycott, politicians said Wednesday, amid hopes that protests over the resumption of U.S. beef imports are dying down. The new parliament elected in April was supposed to open on May 30. But the opposition, backing demands made at mass rallies, boycotted the legislature to press demands for a renegotiation of the beef deal with Washington. Parliamentary leaders of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) and the main opposition Democratic Party, formerly known as the United Democratic Party, agreed late Tuesday to put the National Assembly back on track. 'We have agreed to elect the National Assembly Speaker Thursday and hold the opening ceremony the following day,' the parties said in a joint statement. The GNP, which... [read full story]