The South Korean government yesterday vowed to crack down on violent protesters, a day after a clash between farmers and riot police in Seoul left dozens injured.
"We note that the incident occurred despite our repeated announcement that we will track down and hold responsible those involved in illegal and violent protests," the government said in a statement, adding without elaboration that it will take "stern measures according to the law."
Hundreds of farmers and police pummeled each other with sticks late Wednesday during a protest against WTO negotiations and a free-trade deal with Chile, which the farmers claim could threaten their livelihoods. Farmers fear that the Chile deal, which has yet to be ratified by lawmakers, would flood the market with cheap agricultural goods.
The National Police Agency said about 30 police officers and riot police were injured. Police also detained some 100 protesters.
An official at the farmers' association said about 30 farmers were injured.
Farmers swung wooden sticks and hurled glass bottles at helmeted riot police, who fought back with plastic batons and shields. Protesters also set fire to police buses.
Under the free-trade deal with Chile, South Korea would remove tariffs on Chilean copper products, animal feed, wheat, wool and tomatoes, as well as fisheries products. Tariffs on other Chilean goods would be eliminated in five to 10 years.
Chile would in return lift all tariffs on South Korean cars, trucks, mobile phones, computers, TV sets and air conditioners.
South Korean farmers benefited from a closed market and government subsidies until Seoul ended its decades-old ban on rice imports in 1994.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
A prominent Christian leader has allegedly been stabbed at the altar during a Mass yesterday in southwest Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying Mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. A live stream of the Mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel before it was cut off. The church leader gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a large online following, Officers attached to Fairfield City police area command attended a location on Welcome Street, Wakeley following reports a number