S Korean President denounces violence at anti-FTA rally

S Korean President denounces violence at anti-FTA rally
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Monday denounced the alleged beating last week of a senior police officer by protesters opposed to a Free Trade Agreement ( FTA) with the United States.

The head of Seoul's Jongno Police Station, Park Geon-chan, said Saturday he was pushed and punched by a few protesters during an a rally on the same day, with some yanking off his hat.

Park was approaching opposition party lawmakers, who were addressing the largely peaceful crowd of some thousands of people, to persuade them to stop what police called an illegal rally.

A 54-year-old man surnamed Kim is being questioned in relation to the incident, while police are trying to identify others involved in the beating.

"Violence against a uniformed police officer is a threat to democracy," the president said during a meeting with senior presidential secretaries, according to spokesman Park Jeong-ha.

The ruling Grand National Party has urged police to punish everyone involved, while opposition parties claim the officer deliberately provoked protesters by walking through the crowd.

Rallies have been held in downtown Seoul everyday since Lee's Grand National Party rammed through the contentious agreement critics say favors Washington's interests.

Riot police have used water cannons to forcibly disperse protesters.

Editor: Mo Hong'e

English.news.cn   2011-11-28 15:56:25 FeedbackPrintRSS
SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Xinhua)