President Roh Criticizes Violent Demonstrations

On November 9, the night of the 2003 National Laborer’s Rally, laborer members and students of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) created a riot by throwing incendiary grenade bottles on the streets of Seoul. When asked for his opinion regarding the issue, President Roh Moo-hyun commented on November 10, stating, “Trying to solve these issues through illegal and violent demonstrations, rather than through negotiations, is wrong.”

Spokesperson for the Blue House (Chung Wae Dae), Yoon Tae-young, commented that President Roh had addressed the chief secretariat and aide conference by further stating, “Since the government has the responsibility of protecting the citizens from anxiety, it is the duty of the government to pursue this responsibility and maintaining order according to principles and with consistency to the fullest.”

President Roh also stated, “The government has been seeking to open negotiating opportunities and to listen to the laborers’ complaints.” Furthermore, President Roh gave his aides specific instructions to “precisely clarify that illegal and violent demonstrations will not accomplish anything.”

Spokesperson Yoon further added, “The attendants of the conference showed signs of anxiety and lamentation due to the reappearance of incendiary bottle grenades in violent demonstrations, and the thought of the revival of the assembled demonstration cultures of past.”

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com