Police Break up S. Korea free trade agreement protest (AP) as temperatures dropped to freezing

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/archives/front/2007311/104326.htm

Riot police used a water cannon Saturday to break up a noisy but peaceful street protest in downtown Seoul against a proposed free trade agreement between South Korea and the United States.

Police armed with shields and truncheons fired several bursts from a water cannon into the crowd of about 2,000 protesters, mostly farmers, workers and students, after they ignored a warning to disperse as temperatures dropped to freezing in early evening.

Some scuffles broke out as police pushed the demonstrators back, but there appeared to be no major injuries on either side. Some in the crowd began to disperse, while others eventually marched away.

A National Police Agency official, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said 10 people were detained.



South Korea and the U.S. say an agreement would boost economic growth and trade, but opponents say it would harm the livelihoods of farmers and workers.

"We will keep protesting because we are right," veteran activist Oh Jong-ryul told the crowd before riot police moved in.

The rally came as negotiators met for a third day at a hilltop hotel across town to hammer out a deal to slash tariffs and other trade barriers. The talks, the eighth round since negotiations began last June, are to end Monday.

The two countries hope to conclude an agreement by the end of this month, though the negotiating process so far has failed to bridge gaps in key sectors such as automobiles.

If successful, it would be the biggest such deal for the United States since the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993.

South Korea and the United States had US$72 billion (euro55 billion) in trade in 2005. South Korea is the United States' seventh-largest trading partner.

Any deal needs to be approved by South Korea's National Assembly and the U.S. Congress to take effect.

Saturday's protest followed a march earlier in the day by about 3,000 people. That demonstration, held on a street near several universities, broke up peacefully after police issued a dispersal warning.

Some demonstrators gathered later at other points in the capital, including the downtown rally.