Guard Tells Minor Party Leader, `You`d Better Kill Me`

Opposition parties yesterday said their lawmakers suffered from violence when they were forced to finish their sit-in protest at the National Assembly.

National Assembly Secretary General Park Gye-dong had a different story, however, saying, “The chief guard even told Kang Ki-kap, head of the (minor progressive)Democratic Labor Party, ‘Mr. Kang, You’d better kill me.’”

Talking to reporters, Park said, “Kang visited my office Tuesday and said, ‘When I tried to forcefully remove the uniform of the chief guard Monday, he said this. After listening to his comment, my anger suddenly disappeared.` Kang personally apologized to me for his behavior.”

The chief guard is senior deputy director Lee Gyeong-gyun, in charge of maintaining order at the National Assembly.

The National Assembly secretariat said Lee’s comment reflects his desire that lawmakers finish the sit-in protest themselves since the secretariat cannot harm lawmakers.

Park said, “Democratic Labor Party members have argued that National Assembly guards violently quelled the sit-in protest, but this is not true. You can find out the truth even on the official Web site of the party.”

The video clip includes both images and explanations posted on the party`s Web site. Parliamentary guards are shown removing bills and placards attached to a hall by the party Monday.

In the video clip, around 30 guards repeatedly said, “Be careful. You shouldn`t hurt lawmakers. You should be careful.”

On the other hand, party members cussed while trying to prevent guards from removing the posters.

The video clip shows lawmaker Lee Jeong-hee, who tried to keep his hold on the placard. The party said, “Lawmaker Lee Jeong-hee was thrust by guards and pulled down the stairs.”

According to Lee, party lawmakers screamed at the guards, saying, “Are you gangsters who beat up lawmakers?” The video clip, however, shows no violence by National Assembly guards on lawmakers.

Instead, party leader Kang was shown kicking guards.

In a radio program, Kang said yesterday that his behavior at the office of the National Assembly’s secretary general was "inappropriate" for the head of a political party.

The National Assembly secretariat will seek legal action against Kang unless he officially apologizes for his behavior by noon today.

koh@donga.com