GENEVA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The European Union said on Wednesday that South Korea had no right to claim treatment as a developing country in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The complaint was voiced by an EU envoy during discussion in the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on a recent ruling against Seoul over rules it sets on how beef is sold in the country's shops.
"(South) Korea's economic strength and its position as a major trade partner cannot justify developing country status under any of the WTO agreements," the EU statement said.
In the beef case, South Korea had declared itself a developing country for the purposes of the 1994 WTO accord on agriculture, which sets terms for the import and export by all members of farm produce.
The case was brought against South Korea by the United States. Both the panel and the Appellate Body ruled that regulations providing for sale of imported beef at separate counters violated the WTO's open trading rules.
The rulings were approved on Wednesday by the DSB, and South Korea promised it would put them into effect.
Developing countries are normally granted more time to implement WTO agreements as well as certain other concessions.
But the trade body has no ruling of its own on which of its -- currently -- 140 members fall under the "developing" classification and which do not. It normally accepts each member's description of itself.
In its statement, the EU said it disagreed with South Korea's "self-characterisation" as a developing country and voiced surprise that this had been accepted by the panel in the beef case and by the Appellate Body which heard a Seoul appeal.
South Korea, with Mexico, is a member of the Paris-based Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development, the OECD or so-called "rich man's club."
In 1999, it was also the world's 12th largest trading state. In total value of exports and imports, Mexico -- which also declares itself a developing country in the WTO -- was just ahead of South Korea on 11th position.:
