hankyoreh

By Kim Seon-sik

Groups opposed to the South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) criticized the police Monday for their use of water cannon to suppress demonstrations against the KORUS FTA led by civic organizations.
Officials from National People’s Movement and Human Rights Joint Meetings claimed one participant in the protest was hit with the water cannon by the police and passed out with her eardrum ruptured. They urged the police authorities to find and punish those responsible and immediately apologize for its excessive use of force.
“I was sent to the hospital after being struck with water cannon. Doctors told me my eardrum was ruptured from being pressured with enormous force,” said Park Hee-jin, representative of the Korean Youth Solidarity. “The police blasted powerful water cannon directly aiming in short distance at the citizens. They are supposed to protect people, but they chose to harm us, instead.”
“The rallies were proceeding peacefully but disrupted abruptly with the use of water cannons. I was also hit with the shots and fell to the ground,” said Korean Alliance of the Progressive Movements Chairwoman Lee Gwang-sil.
The two groups said they plan to bring legal charges against those in the police accountable for the damage during the protest.
(Translated by Kang Jin-kyu, Intern)
　　
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