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Dozens hurt in South Korea beef protest
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-07 16:44 Seoul -- Dozens were injured in the largest protest yet over an agreement to resume US beef imports to South Korea, according to authorities and media reports Saturday.
A crowd estimated by police at 65,000 demonstrated in central Seoul on Friday night. Some marched on a road leading to the presidential Blue House but were blocked by a barricade of police buses. Riot police later clashed with demonstrators who tried to march to the presidential office through a back alley. About 25 riot police were hospitalized and protesters smashed the windows of four of the buses, said an officer at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The officer declined to give his name, citing office policy. The injuries were not critical, he said. The officer had no information on the number of protesters injured and rally organizers were not immediately available for comment. News cable channel YTN said "dozens" of protesters were hurt. South Koreans have been taking to the streets for weeks to criticize President Lee Myung-bak for his handling of an April agreement with Washington to restart imports of US beef. On Thursday night, a crowd estimated at 25,000 people staged a candlelight protest downtown. Organizers have pledged that rallies will continue nonstop though Sunday. Many South Koreans fear that the beef deal fails to protect the nation from mad cow disease by allowing beef from older US cattle, considered at greater risk of the illness. Protesters complain Lee has ignored their concerns, behaved arrogantly and given in to US demands. A contrite Lee vowed Friday to take a "humble attitude." "I will open my ears in a more humble attitude and listen to the people," Lee said in a speech Friday to commemorate Memorial Day, a national holiday. He did not directly mention the beef dispute. Later Friday, presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said all eight senior presidential secretaries -- including himself -- had offered to resign. In South Korea, senior officials sometimes offer to step down during times of crisis to deflect or diminish criticism of an embattled leader. |
