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S. Korean politicians' clash spurs a lawsuit
Source: Agencies |
January 5, 2009, Monday
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SOUTH Korea's main opposition party filed a criminal lawsuit yesterday against the country's parliamentary speaker and police chief over a scuffle that left about 100 party members and security guards injured.
About 150 parliamentary security guards tried on Saturday to clear opposition law makers who have been staging a sit-in inside the National Assembly to thwart President Lee Myung-bak's party from ramming through scores of bills including a free trade deal with the United States.
The guards - acting on Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o's instructions to "keep order" - frog-marched some of the Democratic Party law makers and their aides, who fiercely fought back. The shoving match left some 50 people on each side injured.
Yesterday, the Democratic Party filed a criminal lawsuit with prosecutors against Assembly Speaker Kim, police chief Eo Cheong-soo and two other parliamentary officials, accusing them of abuse of their power.
"(Kim's) right to keep order ... doesn't include the right to exercise physical force," the party said in a statement.
The party accused Eo of deploying about additional 900 police officers outside the parliamentary building without going through the necessary procedures. The party says Eo needed approval from a parliamentary committee before deploying officers inside the parliamentary complex.
Seoul prosecution official Park June-tae said prosecutors plan to review the suit today to decide whether to open a criminal investigation into the case.
The ruling Grand National Party, which has 172 seats in the 299-seat legislature, has said it wants to pass some 80 bills, including the free trade deal, before the current parliamentary session ends on Thursday. The Democratic Party said the trade pact should not be approved until Lee's government works out measures to protect farmers, laborers and others who are expected to suffer from a surge in imports.
About 150 parliamentary security guards tried on Saturday to clear opposition law makers who have been staging a sit-in inside the National Assembly to thwart President Lee Myung-bak's party from ramming through scores of bills including a free trade deal with the United States.
The guards - acting on Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o's instructions to "keep order" - frog-marched some of the Democratic Party law makers and their aides, who fiercely fought back. The shoving match left some 50 people on each side injured.
Yesterday, the Democratic Party filed a criminal lawsuit with prosecutors against Assembly Speaker Kim, police chief Eo Cheong-soo and two other parliamentary officials, accusing them of abuse of their power.
"(Kim's) right to keep order ... doesn't include the right to exercise physical force," the party said in a statement.
The party accused Eo of deploying about additional 900 police officers outside the parliamentary building without going through the necessary procedures. The party says Eo needed approval from a parliamentary committee before deploying officers inside the parliamentary complex.
Seoul prosecution official Park June-tae said prosecutors plan to review the suit today to decide whether to open a criminal investigation into the case.
The ruling Grand National Party, which has 172 seats in the 299-seat legislature, has said it wants to pass some 80 bills, including the free trade deal, before the current parliamentary session ends on Thursday. The Democratic Party said the trade pact should not be approved until Lee's government works out measures to protect farmers, laborers and others who are expected to suffer from a surge in imports.
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