BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhuanet) -- South Korea has agreed to open new talks on imports of U.S. beef following an international ruling that mad cow disease is under control in the United States, Finance Minister Kwon O-Kyu said Monday.

    Kwon said Washington had called for talks on easing South Korea's strict restrictions on imports.

    The request came after the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) assigned a "controlled risk" rating last week for U.S. and Canadian beef regarding mad cow disease, he said.

    South Korea, once the third-largest market for U.S. beef, last year lifted a three-year ban imposed to keep out mad cow disease but it agreed to accept only shipments of boneless meat.

    When it sealed a free trade pact with the U.S. in April, Seoul gave verbal promises to consider a wider opening of its market following the OIE ruling.

    Before the 2003 import ban, South Korea bought 850 million U.S. dollars of U.S. beef a year.

    (Agencies)