Conservatives slam illegal protests; liberals say incident no justification for crackdown





Controversy has flared over an assault of a ranking police officer by angry protesters during a weekend street rally against the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement attended by opposition party leaders.

While the conservative ruling camp on Monday vowed stern enforcement of the law on illegal protests, denouncing the incident as a threat to the law enforcement authority, some raised questions that the police officer may have intentionally provoked the attack.

“Violence against a uniformed police officer is a threat to democracy,” President Lee Myung-bak said during a meeting with senior secretaries, according to presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha.

The chief of Seoul‘s Jongno Police Station, Park Geon-chan, was allegedly kicked and punched by protesters during an anti-FTA protest in downtown Seoul on Saturday night.

The National Police Agency said on Sunday that it nabbed one of the alleged attackers and vowed to deal sternly with others who participated in the assault and organizers of the illegal protest.

Anti-government activists and critics have staged daily protests in downtown Seoul since Lee’s ruling Grand National Party on Nov. 22 rammed the trade pact through the National Assembly despite fierce opposition from liberal lawmakers.

Opponents demand the deal be scrapped or re-negotiated, claiming it favors the U.S.

“(The assault) is a crime against the very principle in this country -- the rule of law. The Grand National Party demands a thorough investigation into the attack and stern punishment of whoever is responsible,” said Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, the spokesperson for the ruling party.

The party also assailed opposition leaders who were present at the rally -- Reps. Sohn Hak-kyu and Chung Dong-young, current and former chairmen of the main opposition Democratic Party and Rep. Lee Jung-hee, chairwoman of the far-left minority Democratic Labor Party.

The DP, however, expressed concerns that the authorities may use the incident as justification to crack down on opponents of the FTA.

Before the attack, the police authorities were under fire for firing water cannons at protestors amid sub-zero temperatures.

“We are against violence,” said Rep. Hong Young-pyo, the spokesperson for the main opposition party. “But we can not but point out the thoughtless decision of the police officer to walk right into the middle of a protest, which could be seen as him having an intention to create a violent scene.”

A video clip showed that the police officer, clad in full police uniform, walks right into the middle of a crowd of protesters. The police officer later explained that he wanted to speak with Chung, who was making a speech to protesters.

Chung, however, said they had no appointment to meet. According to him, a plainclothes police officer approached him, conveying Park’s wish to speak, but Chung said he would let them know whom to talk to, because there were other lawmakers too.

“Shortly after the conservation, I climbed onto the stage and heard a commotion. It was Jongno police chief squeezing himself into (the crowd,)” Chung tweeted.

By Lee Sun-young
(milaya@heraldcorp.com)