hankyoreh

Prosecution and police said on November 23 that they will take stern legal measures against unregistered demonstrations a day ago against free trade talks between South Korea and the United States. The demonstrations took place across the nation and turned violent, as protestors clashed with riot police.

The Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office ordered regional prosecutors to sternly investigate into leaders of the demonstrations, as well as aggressive demonstrators and the planners of the rallies. Lee Taek-soon, head of the National Police Agency, also ordered 14 regional police chiefs to aggressively consider banning the Korean Alliance against Korea-U.S. FTA, a nationwide group that organized the rallies, from holding demonstrations.

However, critics say a ban against a certain organization is a violation of the constitutional right that guarantees freedom of speech and demonstration. Hannam University professor of legal studies Lee Chang-mu said, "If the police clash with public opinion, it will lead to a self-violation of procedural justice. The principle of a democratic nation is to sternly cope with illegal rallies, while protecting legal ones."

The alliance plans to hold similar demonstrations on November 29 and December 6; larger scuffles are anticipated if the rallies are banned by the police.

In a press conference in front of the presidential Blue House, the Korean Alliance argued, "Yesterday's rallies were a result of an explosion of angry public sentiment. If the President doesn't stop free trade talks with the U.S., we have no choice but to continue the demonstrations."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources took a step to punish 1,952 teachers who were confirmed to have joined the anti-FTA demonstrations, taking a one-day vacation from work to take part in the rallies.

In response, Jeong Jae-uk, an official at the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, said the union will not cooperate with the ministry's investigation, citing the ministry's disapproval of union members' right to take a day's vacation if desired.

On November 24, prime minister Han Myeong-sook will hold a meeting with related ministers to discuss countermeasures against violent rallies.


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