| News: Korean Citizens protest against Impeachment |
At least 130,000 Korean citizens took to the streets in downtown Seoul and across the nation Saturday in rallies against the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun and the U.S. presence in Iraq.
The evening's candlelight vigil was the largest of its kind since the president was impeached by the opposition-controlled parliament March 12 on allegations of violating the Elections Law and other wrongdoing.......
Similar rallies were held in other provinces and major cities, including Busan and Daegu, but the demonstrations were peaceful and no major incidents were reported.
Holding candles, protesters against the impeachment packed the 10-lane boulevard in Gwanghwamun near Seoul City Hall, chanting "Impeachment invalid!" and "Let's protect democracy."
"It will be inevitable for the National Assembly to declare the impeachment decision invalid. The Assembly members will come to know they made a big mistake," said Jeong A-rum, a 21-year-old college student.
"I brought my two children because I would like them to witness this crucial moment in Korea's history," said 46-year-old Hong Hyun-soo.
The outdoor rally also caught foreigners' attention. "I am not well-informed enough to comment on the impeachment of President Roh in Korea. But what I can say is that the rally is very well-organized and people are in good order," said Bruce McRae, an English teacher from Canada.
Police estimated about 130,000 people participated in the Seoul rallies, but the organizers said they thought the figure was nearer to 200,000. The government has defined the night rallies as illegal, but said it could not stop them as long as they were peaceful.
About 8,000 riot police were deployed around the rally, and they watched the protesters' peaceful march, blocking off several roads in downtown Seoul. There were no clashes or arrests.
Before the anti-impeachment rally started in the afternoon, about 3,000 protesters, mostly college students, gathered in Daehangno, 10 minutes by car away from Gwanghwamun, to protest the U.S. presence in Iraq on the first anniversary of the war.
They also demanded the Korean government scrap its plan to send 3,600 troops, including combatants, to the Middle Eastern country. The protesters later joined the anti-impeachment candlelight vigil.
Korea had planned to send the troops to Kirkuk next month, but decided to change the deployment site, and delay their departure for at least two months, because of differences between Seoul and Washington over the U.S. proposal for stationing Korean and U.S. troops together in the region.
Seoul officials were concerned that Korean troops would face increased dangers in Kirkuk, which saw 12 insurgent attacks in the first two weeks of March, if they were billeted with American soldiers. The U.S. troops have been among the rebels' prime targets.
As a counterbalance to the candlelight vigil the previous evening, about 2,000 citizens supporting the impeachment decision held their own rally in downtown Seoul yesterday. They called for Roh's immediate resignation.
(hjjin@heraldm.com)
(hayney@heraldm.com)
By Jin Hyun-joo and Shin Hye-in
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