South Korean lawmakers, guards scuffle

Lawmakers from the Democratic Party have been staging a sit-in at the National Assembly since Dec. 26 in a bid to thwart conservatives from ramming through dozens of measures — including ratification of a free trade pact with the U.S. — before the session ends.

Some 150 guards tried to force the lawmakers to leave Saturday, touching off a scuffle, said Cho Jeong-sik, a spokesman for the Democrats. Twenty legislators and party officials sustained minor injuries, with several taken to a nearby hospital.

Parliament authorities said more than 20 security guards also suffered neck and back injuries during the scuffle.

Footage showed opposition officials being frog-marched out of the parliament building. Opposition officials also fought with hundreds of police deployed to stand guard outside the National Assembly complex, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

Authorities vowed to end the sit-in protest before Monday to put the crippled legislature back on track, said Kwak Hyun-jun, a spokeswoman for parliament's secretariat.

She said the secretariat plans to file a criminal complaint if the lawmakers don't leave.

The speaker of parliament threatened last week to send in guards to end to the sit-in protest that has paralyzed parliament.

The ruling Grand National Party, which has 172 seats in the 299-seat assembly compared to the Democrats' 82, wants to pass some 80 bills before the current session ends Jan. 8 — including the free trade pact signed last year.

The opposition says the pact should not be approved until Lee's government provides better measures to protect farmers and others who are expected to suffer from a surge in imports from the U.S.

Another point of dispute is a bill on media ownership that would allow newspapers and private companies to own broadcast stations. Critics say the bill would give the conservative government too much leverage with broadcasters.

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