Thousands of protesters（主张, 断言, 抗议） occupied a major downtown thoroughfare near the United States embassy in the South Korean capital on Sunday, demanding the government drop a plan to resume imports of American beef.

Choi Jae-sung is a protester and lawmaker of the main opposition United Democratic Party.

"The government is taking a low posture on the issue. It's misleading as if the renegotiation is never possible. This is all up to the government's willingness."

Police said some 20-thousand people joined the evening rally, the second night in a row of large-scale demonstrations in Seoul.

Meanwhile, South Korea President Lee Myung-bak showed no signs of dropping the plan, though media reports said he was considering a shake-up of his cabinet this week, which would include replacing the agriculture minister.

The weekend protests were the biggest yet against the government's determination to carry out a much-criticised import agreement with Washington that opponents say could expose South Koreans to beef tainted with mad cow disease.

South Korea agreed on April 18 to reopen what was formerly the third-largest overseas market for US beef.