YONHAP NEWS

(3rd LD) S. Korea vows to punish Chinese demonstrators

   By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, April 29 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government announced Tuesday it will take a stern measure against Chinese demonstrators who wielded bamboo sticks and hurled stones at anti-Chinese activists and riot police during Sunday's Beijing Olympic torch relay here.

   Such a tough stance is expected to strain Seoul-Beijing ties despite diplomatic efforts by the two sides to limit the fallout from the incident.

   Public furor here has grown, with major broadcasters replaying the footage of the clashes and interviews with witnesses. Media reports stated that more than 10,000 Chinese people took to the streets during the 24-km relay in Seoul. Many were students studying in South Korea, while some flew from China to counter rallies by those protesting against Beijing's recent crackdown on Tibetans, police said.

   Local activists claim that some Chinese demonstrators assaulted them although they were holding peaceful rallies. According to police reports, several South Korean activists and riot police were injured.

   Prime Minister Han Seung-soo said his government will handle the case in accordance with "law and principles."
"As the national pride has been considerably hurt by the incident, legal and diplomatic measures that can restore the national pride will have to follow," Han, a former foreign minister, was quoted as telling a Cabinet meeting by Vice Culture Minister Shin Jae-min, who serves as a government spokesman.

   The announcement came a day after the Foreign Ministry expressed strong regret over the clashes caused by Chinese demonstrators.

   Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon conveyed the protest message to Beijing's ambassador to Seoul Ning Fukui.

   Despite the diplomatic action, public anger here did not not subside.

   Portals were bombarded with messages from Internet users critical of the violent protesters. One message read "I even doubt whether China deserves the Olympics."
The JoongAng Ilbo, a major South Korean daily, said Tuesday in its editorial that, "It is very shocking that they started violent clashes against the people they live with in this country."
Police admitted that they focused too much on protecting the torch, thus failing to quickly bring the clashes under control.

   After coming under public criticism, police said they reopened their investigation into the case and that they were analyzing related video clips to identify violent protesters.

   Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han also vowed to punish those involved in illicit and violent rallies regardless of nationality.

   "It is deeply regrettable that foreigners staged illegal, violent protests at a time when people here are refraining from violent rallies since the new government took office," Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han told the Cabinet.

   South Korean and Chinese diplomats tried to prevent any further impact.

   "What I want to stress is that Chinese people, especially Chinese students here, have good feelings for South Koreans," the Chinese ambassador told reporters.

   When asked if the Chinese embassy will cooperate with the police investigation, however, Ning avoided a direct answer. "I don't know in detail," he said.

   Foreign Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young also attempted to soothe angry South Koreans, saying the government already took appropriate diplomatic measures. "In diplomacy, expressing strong regret is a very strong action," he said.
He added that Deputy Foreign Minister Lee is expected to deliver a protest message again to Chinese officials during his trip to Beijing. Lee left for the Chinese capital Tuesday to discuss details on President Lee Myung-bak's plan to visit China and hold a summit with his counterpart Hu Jintao late next month. The summit's exact date has not been announced yet.

   Moon, however, would not predict additional diplomatic measures regarding the clashes. "We are waiting for the result of the police probe and legal steps," he said.

   Another ranking ministry official pointed out that although the behavior of some Chinese people is to blame, it should not evolve into a diplomatic row.

   The official, asking not to be named, emphasized that South Koreans don't need to emotionally overreact. "I expect police to take appropriate action, unswayed by anti-Chinese sentiment," he said.

   lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)