| S. Korea, China agree to cool off row(AP)
 Updated: 2005-11-15 20:15
 
 
 
  Cooling off a spicy issue between their countries, China 
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-China 
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 China. Earlier in the year, a South Korean lawmaker claimed 
to have found lead in Chinese-produced kimchi. 
 China 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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