[Onthebarricades] KOREA, Jan 2009 - Yeongsan squat eviction murder/tragedy sparks protests

[global resistance roundup]

A violent police attack on a squat in Seoul left five squatters and a 
cop dead, after police used chemicals during clashes with squatters 
which caused a massive fire. The building was squatted as part of 
anti-gentrification protests. A probe into the incident amounts to a 
cover-up as protests continue and police target protest organisers.






http://www.indymedia.org/en/2009/02/920422.shtml

KOREA: EVICTION STRUGGLE
The Deadly Face of Development: Struggle Against Evictions in Korea
03 Feb 2009 17:18 GMT

On January 20th, an illegally and incompetently conducted raid on 
activists and tenants protesting their forced eviction from central 
Seoul left 6 dead. This incident ignited immediate and continuing 
demonstrations against police violence, massive redevelopment, and the 
administration that has exacerbated both of these issues. South Korea's 
redevelopment projects have always met with fierce resistance, as 
landless poor were sacrificed for the profits of wealthy conglomerates. 
This violent crackdown in Yongsan neighborhood, however, has lead to an 
unprecedented show of support among diverse populations in solidarity 
with those struggling for housing and survival.
On Monday, January 19th, evictee-protesters members from Jun Chul Yun, 
or the Federation Against House Demolition, including tenants from the 
neighborhood as well as other areas, occupied a five story building in 
Yongsan4ga neighborhood and assembled a defensive shelter on the roof. 
Roof-top access was blocked to prevent the police from removing them. 
The evictee-protesters prepared themselves for an occupation and 
struggle, supplied with, among other items, paint thinner and molotov 
cocktails.
A 1,500 strong police force was dispatched to disperse about 50 
protesters. At 10pm, the night before the police raid, "contract 
workers" hired by the landowners, referred to by many as "construction 
thugs" for their traditional role in threatening and attacking evictees, 
gathered on the second floor of the building. The police threatened to 
use force against the protestors unless they ended their sit-in. In an 
apparent attempt to intimidate the protesters, the construction thugs 
set fire to used tires on the third floor of the building.
At 6am, Tuesday the 20th, the police sent a SWAT team into the building, 
and mobilized three water trucks to spray the roof with water. In an 
unprecedentedly short period of time for dealing with protests and 
sit-ins, a SWAT team was deployed in an "anti-terror" operation. 
According to Yongsan District police chief Baek Dong-san, they took such 
swift action because the protesters continued hurling cocktails, bricks 
and golf balls and spraying acid at officers and passers-by. There were 
42 activists on the roof. Access to the roof being blocked off from 
inside the building, the police used a crane to lift the SWAT team above 
the roof in a metal storage container unit. The police sprayed the roof 
from the container box with a water hose, while the protesters resisted, 
throwing molotov cocktails. At 7:30, a fire, of unknown origins broke 
out within the makeshift fort. The police continued to spray water 
cannons and hoses at the roof, the water mixing with paint thinner and 
spreading the fire throughout the building. The smoke grew thicker and 
flames bigger, and protesters struggled to evacuate the shed. As the 
shed filled with water, the paint-thinner, being lighter than water, 
floated on the surface and prevented the fire from being extinguished. 
Cans of paint thinner were seen being frantically thrown out of small 
windows in the shed, in an attempt to prevent the growth of the fire. 
One protester, seeking to flee the flames, hung from a window, 
eventually falling four floors to the ground. He suffered severe 
injuries from the fall, as the police had not prepared any mattresses 
around the building. The fire was ultimately extinguished by 8am. Five 
protesters and a police officer died. The cause of death of all six 
individuals is under investigation.
Lies and Crimes
Since the incident, numerous accusations have been made against Kim 
Seok-ki, the Seoul police commissioner, including allegations of 
excessive police force, tactical errors and lying to the public about 
the operation.
In initial statements following the attack, the Seoul police station 
denied the involvement of private security personnel, "construction 
thugs", in the operation. According to recordings of police radio 
transmissions, officers communicated directly with the construction 
thugs, providing them with shields, permitting them to light fires, and 
directing them to remove obstacles from the building's floors to 
facilitate access to the roof.
The police claimed to have taken all safety precautions during the 
deadly raid, but numerous facts suggest to the contrary. According to 
some observers, the police used the container to ram the shelter, 
shaking the structure and spreading the fire throughout. Police radio 
transmissions also revealed that when some officers warned that the 
water cannons were exacerbating the fire, they were ordered to continue 
spraying. The nonstop blasting of water hoses both intensified the fire 
as well as making it difficult for the protesters to escape.
In a report to the national assembly the police department claimed that 
they had nine fire trucks, two chemical fire trucks, and five ambulances 
prepared at the scene. But the fire department reported that there were 
only two fire engines at the scene in advance, and that they sent 
chemical fire trucks without police request after the fire had started.
Family members also condemn the police for conducting autopsies without 
their consent, contending that they cannot trust a biased police autopsy 
conducted in secret.
Protests
The evening of the 20th saw intense confrontations between the police 
and protesters demanding that justice be done. Members from 
anti-eviction groups struggled along-side students and activists who had 
been active during 2008's candlelight protest movement. Violence broke 
out as protesters threw rocks and bricks at the police.
Since then, there have been vigils and marches on a daily basis, 
including the lunar new year holidays. The 23rd of January saw around 
3,000 people gather at Seoul Station, who, breaking through the police 
line, marched through central Seoul. The 31st saw over 8 thousand people 
gather in a plaza, surrounded by 10 thousand riot police. Five people 
were arrested during clashes with the police, when the crowd attempted 
to march to another part of the city.
Background
Yong-san4ga is a neighborhood located in central Seoul, nestled between 
the Han river to the south and a US army base to the north. Real estate 
anywhere around central Seoul is very high, and the land speculation 
caused by the anticipated US base relocation has made the area 
especially attractive to investors.
Samsung, Posco, and Daelim, three of Korea's powerful "chaebols", or 
international conglomerates, received the development rights to "Yongsan 
Newtown". They will make an expected 4 billion US dollars in profits 
from the redevelopment and sale of the land, while the compensation 
given to most shop owners wasn't enough to relocate their business an 
start anew.
"Those who come to the District Office demanding the ridiculous won't be 
treated as democratic citizens, please have some restraint." (banner 
hung by the Yongsan District Chairman criticizing the residents 
protesting their eviction)
For over a year, tenants living in the re-development area requested the 
Yongsan District Office to provide the temporary housing and appropriate 
protection, but were denied opportunities for discussion or negotiation. 
During this process, private security personnel hired by the 
redevelopment cooperative threatened residents, vandalizing stores and 
homes, even sexually harassing them.
One business owner lost his customers after rotten fish was repeatedly 
placed near his restaurant. However, the police took no action against 
the construction thugs. Out of the original 890 tenants, 763 abandoned 
their homes or businesses due to the thugs' violence and pressure from 
the Redevelopment Cooperative.
Redevelopment History
The process of redevelopment in present day South Korea involves a 
complex web of relationships, some open and some obscure, between giant 
business conglomerates and government, wealthy landowners and hired 
thugs, low-income tenants and the police.
 From the 1950's to the 70's the Seoul Metropolitan Government utilized 
eviction-centered-redevelopment policies, where the government removed 
residents directly by force. The strong reaction against redevelopment 
and the growing anti-eviction movement pressed the government to resort 
to more sophisticated methods. The joint-redevelopment policy appeared 
in the 1980's as a strategy to disengage the government, superficially, 
from the eviction and redevelopment process. Likewise, the new system 
pit poor tenants and owners against each other, thereby diminishing the 
potential for an urban social movement that threatened the government's 
legitimacy.
Land owners within the redevelopment zone are persuaded to form a 
Redevelopment Cooperative. This cooperative run by land owners chooses a 
construction company to carry out the compensation of households and 
take responsibility of vacating the land of all residents. This 
"privatized redevelopment" decreases government involvement and 
encourages profit-making by the construction companies.
Current President Lee Myung-bak, whose nickname is "The Bulldozer", is a 
former CEO of Hyudae and was the political architect of the 
"revitalization" of the Cheongyae river, which included the violent 
removal of poor residents and vendors. Lee changed the city's 
redevelopment policy while mayor of Seoul, easing regulation so that now 
in Seoul alone, there are around 200 redevelopment projects underway in 
areas that house around 400,000 people.
New Policy of Swift Retaliation against Dissent
Kim Seok-ki, the Seoul Metropolitan police commissioner responsible for 
the operation, was recently appointed by president Lee Myung-bak as the 
next commissioner general of the National Police Agency. Like Myung-bak, 
who is known for manufacturing politically strategic spectacles of 
power, many see this unprecedentedly harsh and swift crackdown as an 
attempt to bolster his status as he ascends to the nation's highest 
police rank. That the raid happened within 25 hours after the sit-in 
began reflects the Lee Administration's policy towards dissent. Lee 
Myung-bak's Grand National Party, or "Han Nara Dang", has been described 
as pushing the clock back in its approach to handling civil unrest. The 
major themes of this policy: no negotiation and swift, oppressive 
action. Other examples of this impatience and immediate retaliation 
against dissenting voices include Minerva, an online economic analyst 
who grew famous due to his accurate economic predictions and criticism 
of government's economic policy. He was arrested on Jan. 7th, accused of 
spreading false rumors of government intervention in the exchange market.
During the summer of 2008, frustration with the Lee administration was 
unleashed during the so-called candle light protests, where massive 
grassroots mobilization met with equally great repression.
South Korea was requested twice by the Committee on the Economic, Social 
and Cultural Rights to provide protection to victims of forced evictions.
photos: images of demolition and thug graffiti
videos: Police Crackdown and Fire 1 | Video of Crackdown and Fire 2 | 
video critical of protesters | January 20 Night Protest
Call for Urgent Action
questions/comments
contact: imc [stopspam] jinbo.net
add a comment on this article
Thug Graffiti
imc-korea 03.Feb.2009 17:46

more photos at:
http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20081116b.html
Yongsan Resisting Tenants: 'Falsely Accused, Nowhere to Go'
no chr.! 06.Feb.2009 14:56
Opinion/testimony by Park Tae-wook (17 years old student at Gwacheon 
high school):

On Jan. 20, 2009, just six days before (Lunar) New Year's Day, there was 
a tragic incident that happened in the Yongsan area of Seoul. Even now, 
two weeks later, this topic is a hot issue in Korea. Many believe that 
this is the result born from the bad rule of the president, Lee Myung-bak.

At Yongsan, for about a year now, there has been talk of redeveloping 
that part of the city. For the past couple months, construction workers 
or so-called "service gangsters," roamed the neighborhood and made 
people fearful.

What they did was unforgivable. They say they first tried to negotiate 
with the residents, but as we all know, they failed. Then, they tried 
another method.

This time, they not only instilled fear in the residents, but some 
actually hammered down brick walls, broke windows, made threats and in 
some cases, assaulted the residents. It didn't finish in one day, 
however. They came back the next day, and the next day and the day after 
that. Again, they made threats to the residents. After days of this kind 
of harassment, some residents packed up their belongings and left. 
Others remained and hoped that someone would speak up for them.

As days went by with no change, the residents were getting tired. 
Everyday "service gangsters" would come to their houses and mock them in 
every possible way.

Of course it is shocking to believe any of this is happening. One might 
ask, "Why stay there and wait for harm? Why not leave?" If they would do 
just that, this wouldn't have been the problem. But the residents had a 
lot to say to the world.

As things got worse, more people started moving out of their cozy homes 
into nearby parks or deserted fields. They made themselves comfortable, 
if there was any comfort, by raising up tents and sleeping inside 
makeshift houses.

Finally, when only a few houses were left, they decided to carry out 
violent protests -- putting their lives on the line. Some of them 
started to go into deserted buildings and constructed double and triple 
level barricades. They stocked up on food and water. That was the start 
of the "rebellion" by the residents against the city and the 
construction companies. Mostly men, they locked themselves in buildings 
and refused to come out.

Since there were barricades, no one except those who lived in the 
buildings knew the way up. These men were prepared. Whenever gangsters 
or police tried to find a way in, they would tighten their barriers. In 
one news article, they said they even had air rifles, Molotov cocktails, 
paint thinner and other materials that meant strong resistance.

As days passed, tensions grew. Finally, on Jan. 20, the SWAT division of 
the police mobilized. By 6 a.m., these squads surrounded one particular 
building with angry residents in it. These policemen tried to force 
their way into the building and in doing so, clashed with the residents.

The angry residents had already spread paint thinner on the floors and 
stairs. The police were informed about this and were supposed to take 
heed. However, without taking any notice of the danger, the police 
charged into the building and collided head to head with the residents.

In the process, a fire erupted from somewhere in the building. The few 
people who were still in the building had nowhere to go. They knew this 
was the end of the protest. Some actually jumped from the windows, 
breaking a leg or an arm. The few who got out of the building by way of 
the stairs were immediately arrested. Still others were rescued by firemen.

However, there were some who did not make it out safely. These men were 
the five residents who passed away in the fire. In the aftermath, the 
police did not admit to any mistakes on their part. They blamed only the 
protesters.

The police even accused the residents of starting the fire. How can this 
be? Would the residents start a fire and die in it with their protest in 
vain? No. Then what are they saying?

The answer is this: the police are lying to the citizens.

In reaction to the police's version of events, people from all over 
Korea stood on their feet and marched into demonstrations. They made 
banners and shouted "Even apologizing won't be enough," "What is the 
president doing?" and other phrases that disapproved of the police and 
the president.

The police and higher ups were taken aback by the reaction of citizens. 
Kim Suk-ki, who ordered the SWAT action, tried to defuse the situation 
with words, but the citizens were not tricked. They demanded his 
resignation followed by a detailed investigation in this matter.

With the investigation still underway, the citizens are still angry. 
Frequent demonstrations are likely to be seen throughout Korea. With 
this matter being a hot issue, people are starting to worry other 
related incidents and this issue is growing by the day. For now, the 
best solution to this problem is the nation's full out support for the 
unfortunate residents of Yongsan.
Mass Protests Against the Govt. Are Continuing!
no chr.! 09.Feb.2009 13:57
Yesterday for the 3rd time since the Yongsan Massacre thousands 
(according to the police: 2,500, according to the organizers and the 
independent media: 5,000) of political, labour, human right and student 
activists, together with masses of "ordinary" citizens, protested in 
downtown Seoul against the S.K. government.

Today's S. Korean "left"-liberal daily newspaper The Hankyoreh reported 
following:

Police and protesters clash at Yongsan memorial events..

Police and civilians clashed on Saturday during a memorial event for the 
victims of last month’s police raid on anti-urban development protesters 
in Seoul’s Yongsan district. The gathering was the third of its kind 
held in central Seoul following the Yongsan tragedy, which left six 
people dead.

On Saturday, police arrested six people during the event organized by 
the People’s Committee to Protest against the Murderous Clampdown on the 
Yongsan Evictees, including a 25-year-old student only identified by his 
surname, Park.

Protesters were calling on the government to step up efforts to find and 
punish those responsible for the Yongsan tragedy.

Police sealed off Chonggye Plaza, where the memorial event was scheduled 
to be held, leaving protest participants to gather in front of the Korea 
Deposit Insurance Corp. at around 4 p.m. Approximately 5,000 people 
joined the event, and over 9,000 police officers were deployed, 
including members of the riot police. After the memorial event ended, 
participants attempted to move toward Cheong Wa Dae at around 5:50 p.m., 
when they clashed with police who were trying to stop them.

In Jongno and Myeong-dong, scuffles between protesters and police also 
broke out, with police firing water paint at protest participants. The 
crowd dispersed at around 10 p.m., and approximately 200 college 
students who had been protesting at Lotte Department store also departed 
the scene at around 11 p.m..

A memorial event was also held at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Earlier in the day, 
the People’s Committee had displayed pictures related to the Yongsan 
tragedy in central Seoul. The committee said it is planning to organize 
a large-scale demonstration on Monday, when the prosecution is scheduled 
to unveil the results of its investigation into the Yongsan incident. (*)

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/337673.html



* Surprise, Surprise! "No police executives will be indicted over the 
fatal crackdown on squatters in Yongsan last month, according to an 
investigation the prosecution wrapped up today. But 20 of the 
demonstrators - all of whom were rallying over what "insufficient 
compensation" for an urban renewal project - were indicted for 
obstructing official duties", Korea Herald reported today.

As usual: The VICTIMS are always to blame!
Just remember the horrible fire disaster in Yeosu, where two years ago 
10 migrant workers were killed in the local deportation center. 
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2279
Back then the "authorities" (immigration office/ministry of justice..) 
also ultimately blamed the victims to be responsible for the tragedy.


Related:
DP Calls for Reinvestigating Yongsan Clash
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/02/117_39225.html


For more about the protest demo last Sat.
http://blog.jinbo.net/CINA/?pid=1742
"Police Were Just Doing There Job" says Korean Courts
eemoogee 10.Feb.2009 12:36
The weird logic of the Korean Prosecution

On February 9th, The Korean Prosecution has announced their biased 
investigation result of the Youngsan forced eviction and the death of 6 
people. ‘The police are not guilty; only guilty are the evictees’ was 
their point. That means, the murderer is not guilty; guilty is the 
victim. Last January 20th, six people including 5 evictee-sit-in 
strugglers and one police officer were killed during the police’s 
unprecedentedly harsh crackdown mobilizing the SWAT team and thousands 
of police troops. However, the prosecution brought the charge only to 
the evictees while reporting that the police, the construction thugs and 
the redevelopment cooperative are not guilty.

click here for full article

The Weird Logic of the S. Korean Prosecution
no chr.! 10.Feb.2009 14:38
With regard to the article: "Police Were Just Doing There Job, says 
Korean Courts": The complete (worth reading!!) contribution you can read 
here: http://indymedia.cast.or.kr/drupal/?q=ko/node/30

Related stuff in the S.K. press:
Protesters to blame for fatal Yongsan fire: prosecutors (JoongAng Ilbo)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2900841

Prosecution blames protesters for Yongsan tragedy, clears police 
(Hankyoreh)
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/337916.html
Seoul: Streit um besetztes Haus endet tödlich
Micky the Maniac 11.Feb.2009 19:44
http://de.indymedia.org/2009/01/240542.shtml
State Terror After the Yongsan Massacre
no chr.! 12.Feb.2009 15:01
Hankyoreh's latest article "Prosecution intensifies its investigation 
into demolition protest group" is drawing attention to the "slightly 
tense relationship" between the Lee Myung-bak administration (i.e. the 
prosecution/police) and the Federation Against House 
Demolition/Jeoncheolyeon (JCY), especially since the Yongsan Massacre 
and the following - and ongoing - protests. Well, you also might call it 
simply: The (increasing) State Terror against JCY!!

For more please check out:
http://blog.jinbo.net/CINA/?pid=1746
The Fire on Dragon Hill
no chr.! 21.Feb.2009 14:22
A special feature by NewsCham (2.20):

In the early morning hours of January 20th, a shipping container 
carrying members of the police SWAT team was hoisted to the roof of the 
Namildang building in Yongsan, a central district in the heart of Seoul 
City. The SWAT team used water canons to forcibly end a 25-hour long 
protest that was staged by local residents and members of the National 
Alliance of Squatters and Evictees. A fire soon engulfed the building. 
When the fire was finally extinguished at around 8 am that morning, six 
bodies were among the ashes; five protesters and one police officer...

The complete feature you can read here:
http://www.newscham.net/news/view.php?board=news_E&nid=51741







http://www.myantiwar.org/view/170784.html

S.Korea's Lee calls protest deaths "heartbreaking"
REUTERS
Reuters North American News Service
Jan 21, 2009 04:41 EST
SEOUL, Jan 21 (Reuters) - South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said on 
Wednesday it was "heartbreaking" that lives were lost in a clash a day 
earlier between police and protesters, which sparked fresh street 
protest against his government.
<br/>
Five protesters and a police commando died in a blaze at a building in 
central Seoul on Tuesday where authorities moved in to break up a 
protest by tenants and activists fighting against planned demolition and 
seeking better compensation.
"The fact that there were losses of lives is truly heartbreaking," Lee, 
was quoted as saying at a meeting with his senior staff members, 
according officials who were present.
"This type of thing must not happen again," said Lee, who took office a 
year ago and has seen his support rate fall to about 20 percent in 
recent weeks with respondents saying they are frustrated with what they 
see as ineffective leadership.
After the incident, hundreds of people held a violent protest against 
what they called police brutality late into Tuesday night in scenes 
reminiscent of months-long street rallies against Lee's unpopular 
decision to reopen the country to U.S. beef.
Newspapers from the political left and right in editorials on Wednesday 
criticised the police for what the country's biggest daily, the Chosun 
Ilbo, called a "deadly overreaction."
Tuesday's clash came two days after Lee replaced his police chief who 
was heavily criticised for his handling of the previous protests that 
erupted under Lee.
Prosecutors have started work on an inquiry into the deaths and are 
expected to question both protesters who were led away from the scene 
and police officers.
The protesters had occupied the building demanding more compensation to 
vacate the property, which is in an area planned for demolition as part 
of a major development project.
Lee reshuffled his top economic officials on Monday, replacing his 
widely criticised finance minister, to speed up measures to stop Asia's 
fourth largest economy from sliding into its deepest recession in 11 
years. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Jon Herskovitz and Sanjeev 
Miglani)






http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123248129918699099.html

• JANUARY 21, 2009
In South Korea, Six Die in Raid to Break Up Protest
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEOUL, South Korea -- Police commandos stormed a vacant office building 
occupied by displaced tenants in central Seoul early Tuesday, sparking a 
clash and blaze that killed six people and injured 23, authorities said.
AFP
A crate containing commandos is lifted onto the roof of a burning 
building in Seoul, where about 40 tenants and small-business owners had 
staged a protest against a redevelopment project. Six people were killed 
and 23 injured.
A team of 100 commandos landed on the roof in a shipping container to 
break up the protest by some 40 people who had camped for days in the 
five-story building in Seoul's Yongsan neighborhood, Seoul police said.
The protesters were tenants and small-business owners pushing for better 
compensation from construction companies redeveloping buildings in the 
area, a tenants' rights group said.
The protesters hurled Molotov cocktails at police and out the building's 
windows, police said. Fire then engulfed the rooftop within minutes, 
sending flames and black smoke shooting into the sky and trapping people 
inside, witnesses said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze in about an hour, authorities said. 
Several dozen people inside the building were evacuated and 28 people 
were arrested, police said.
Yongsan Police Chief Baek Dong-san said five bodies were found, 
including one police officer. Seoul police later said the death toll 
stood at six dead.
The incident comes as President Lee Myung-bak tries to win back public 
support amid an economic crisis and six months after the violent street 
protests that erupted over allowing U.S. beef imports last year.
"How can this happen in a democracy?" Yang Mi-ok, a member of the 
tenants' association, said outside the building as she denounced police 
over the deadly crackdown.
One of the dead was the former owner of a watch shop who had been forced 
to vacate the building.
President Lee ordered a probe of the incident. Investigators were at the 
scene Tuesday, with hundreds of riot police blocking the entrance. 
Residents left white chrysanthemums, a traditional Korean symbol of 
grief, at a makeshift mourning site outside the building.







http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/21/skorea.fire/index.html?eref=edition_asia

January 21, 2009 -- Updated 1102 GMT (1902 HKT)

South Korea probes deadly blaze at protest
• Story Highlights
• Six people dead, including police officer, authorities say
• Protesters were staging sit-in against urban development
• Authorities say an investigation has been launched into how blaze started
SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- South Korean authorities have launched an 
investigation into a deadly fire that broke out during a police standoff 
with protesters, a police spokesman said Wednesday.

Six people including a police officer were killed in the blaze.

The Tuesday morning blaze left six people dead, including a police 
officer, and injured some 20 others, according to Lee Suk-hee, a Seoul 
police spokesman.
The fire erupted after Seoul Police Chief Kim Seok-ki ordered police 
commandos to storm a building where protesters were staging a sit-in 
against an urban development project, the Yonhap news agency reported.
The protesters had occupied the building since Monday, demanding higher 
compensation for the forced closures of their businesses caused by the 
redevelopment project.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office is investigating how the fire started, 
questioning commandos and protesters, according to Yonhap. Kim is also 
expected to be questioned for his role in the incident. Watch protesters 
face off against police »

"We demand the government punish everyone responsible for the bloody 
crackdown that suppressed the people's struggle for their right to 
live," the families said in a joint statement, Yonhap reported.
Various groups have gathered at the site to honor the dead, call for an 
investigation and condemn the use of force by police.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/stories/DN-skorea_21int.ART.State.Edition1.4ef6896.html

Protest sparks fire, killing six in South Korea
12:00 AM CST on Wednesday, January 21, 2009





http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2009/01/21/2003434254

Six killed in blaze during Seoul raid on protesters
SIT-IN: The opposition said the Seoul police chief, who was chosen to 
head the National Police Agency, used excessive force in evicting 
squatters from a building

AFP, SEOUL
Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009, Page 5

A South Korean squatter who opposed a redevelopment plan for the 
building he lived in shouts for help in Seoul, South Korea, yesterday.
PHOTO: AP
Six people were killed yesterday when masked South Korean protesters 
armed with firebombs set an apartment block rooftop ablaze as police 
commandos tried to evict them, officers said.
They said five protesters and one officer died in the blaze started by 
residents who were staging a sit-in to demonstrate against their 
eviction for a redevelopment scheme in the capital.

In a dramatic operation, a crane was used to lift the commandos onto the 
roof of the empty five-story building in Seoul’s central Yongsan 
District, where between 30 and 40 people had staged a sit-in since Monday.

Yongsan police chief Baek Dong-san told reporters the residents had 
stacked three shipping containers on the roof to make a watchtower.

As helmeted commandos approached, he said, protesters atop the tower 
sprayed paint thinner and threw firebombs at them, starting a blaze that 
spread across the roof.

The blaze was put out after about 30 minutes and the bodies were found 
during a subsequent search. Baek said 17 police and six protesters were 
hurt, with one of the residents in a coma.

Police said they were still searching the building for any more victims.

They said they confiscated 150 firebombs, 40 bottles of hydrochloric 
acid, 1,000 bricks and 700 balls to be used as ammunition for slingshots.

“In consultation with the prosecution, police will thoroughly 
investigate the case,” Baek said.

Some 1,400 officers were mobilised, media reports said, and 25 people 
were arrested.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ordered a thorough investigation 
after being briefed at a Cabinet meeting.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, in a televised statement, 
expressed condolences to families of the dead but promised “stern 
measures” against lawbreakers.

The incident came just two days after Lee appointed Kim Seok-ki, the 
current Seoul police chief, to head the National Police Agency.

Opposition legislators who accused him of using excessive force during 
protests against US beef imports last summer were expected to seize on 
the Yongsan deaths during his upcoming confirmation hearing.

“[Kim’s] first performance after being appointed as the head of police 
was the bloody crackdown on ordinary citizens,” a spokeswoman for the 
opposition Democratic Party said.

There have been other fiery protests in South Korea in the past.

A court last October confirmed a 10-year jail sentence on an elderly man 
who torched South Korea’s foremost historical landmark, the Namdaemum 
Gate, over an unrelated property dispute.

In April 2007 a protester set himself alight outside the venue of free 
trade talks between the US and South Korea.

He died later.

Another man died last June two weeks after setting himself ablaze in 
protest at a deal to resume US beef imports.

Police mobilised for rallies sometimes carry small fire extinguishers to 
prevent such acts.
http://news.morningstar.com/newsnet/ViewNews.aspx?article=/DJ/200901200209DOWJONESDJONLINE000085_univ.xml

4TH UPDATE: 6 Killed During S Korea Raid On Protesters1-20-09 2:09 AM 
EST | E-mail Article | Print Article
(Updates death toll and adds prime minister's comment)
SEOUL (AFP)--Six people were killed Tuesday when masked South Korean 
protesters armed with firebombs set an apartment block rooftop ablaze as 
police commandos tried to evict them, officers said.
They said five protesters and one officer died in the blaze started by 
residents who were staging a sit-in to demonstrate at their eviction for 
a redevelopment scheme in the capital.
In a dramatic operation a crane was used to lift the commandos onto the 
roof of the empty five-storey building in Seoul's central Yongsan 
district, where between 30 and 40 people had staged a sit-in since Monday.
Yongsan police Chief Baek Dong-san told reporters the residents had 
stacked three shipping containers on the roof to make a watchtower.
As helmeted commandos approached, he said, protesters atop the tower 
sprayed paint thinner and threw firebombs at them, starting a blaze that 
spread across the roof.
The blaze was put out after about 30 minutes, and the bodies were found 
during a subsequent search. Baek said 17 police and six protesters were 
hurt, with one of the residents in a coma.
Police said they still are searching the building for any more victims.
They said they confiscated 150 firebombs, 40 bottles of hydrochloric 
acid, 1, 000 bricks and 700 balls to be used as ammunition for slingshots.
"In consultation with the prosecution, police will thoroughly 
investigate the case," Baek said. About 1,400 officers were mobilized, 
media reports said, and 25 people were arrested.
President Lee Myung-bak ordered a thorough investigation after being 
briefed at a cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, in a 
televised statement, expressed condolences to families of the dead but 
promised "stern measures" against lawbreakers.
The incident came just two days after President Lee appointed Kim 
Seok-ki, the Seoul police chief, to head the National Police Agency.
Opposition legislators who accuse him of using excessive force during 
protests against U.S. beef imports last summer were expected to seize on 
the Yongsan deaths during his upcoming confirmation hearing.
"(Kim's) first performance after being appointed as the head of police 
was the bloody crackdown on ordinary citizens," a spokeswoman for the 
opposition Democratic Party said.
There have been other fiery protests in South Korea in the past.
A court last October confirmed a 10-year jail sentence on an elderly man 
who torched South Korea's foremost historical landmark, the Namdaemum 
Gate, over an unrelated property dispute.
In April 2007 a protester set himself alight outside the venue of 
free-trade talks between the U.S. and South Korea. He died later.
Another man died last June two weeks after setting himself ablaze in 
protest at a deal to resume U.S. beef imports. Police mobilized for 
rallies sometimes carry small fire extinguishers to prevent such acts.






http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090120/NEWS/901209976/-1/NEWS09

January 20, 2009 5:07 a.m.
Police clash with protesters in Seoul; 6 dead
KWANG-TAE KIM
Associated Press
Advertisement


SEOUL, South Korea – Police commandos stormed a vacant office building 
occupied by displaced tenants in central Seoul Tuesday, sparking a clash 
and a blaze that killed six people and injured 23, authorities said.
A team of 100 commandos raided the five-story building in Seoul’s 
Yongsan neighborhood early Tuesday morning by landing on the roof in a 
shipping container to break up a protest against a redevelopment plan 
for the area, Seoul police said.
The commandos and some 1,400 riot police were mobilized for the faceoff 
against some 40 people who had been camped out inside the building for 
days, officials said. The protesters were tenants and small business 
owners pushing for better compensation from construction companies 
redeveloping the building, a tenants’ rights group said.
The protesters fought back by hurling Molotov cocktails at police and 
out the building’s windows, police said. One of the burning bottles 
sparked a fire on the roof that engulfed the building within minutes, 
sending flames and black smoke shooting into the sky, the cable news 
network YTN reported.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze in about an hour, authorities said. 
Several dozen people inside the building were evacuated and 28 people 
were arrested, police said.
Yongsan Police Chief Baek Dong-san said five bodies were found, 
including one police officer. Seoul police later said the death toll 
stood at six dead.
One of the dead was the former owner of a watch shop who had been forced 
to vacate the building. Another was the manager of a now-defunct 
restaurant, said Kim Jang-ki, a member of the Tenants Association who 
said he knew both men.
Baek said six protesters were injured, with one in serious condition, 
while 17 police officers suffered injuries. He said one other police 
officer remained unaccounted for.
President Lee Myung-bak ordered a probe of the incident. Investigators 
were at the scene Tuesday, with hundreds of riot police blocking the 
entrance. Residents left white flowers outside the building.
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo called the incident "extremely unfortunate" 
and expressed regret over the deaths.
"The government will thoroughly investigate why and how this has 
happened," he said in a televised statement. "We will uncover the truth, 
leaving not a single dot of suspicion."
Police had earlier said the protesters were squatters who had been 
occupying the building since Monday.
The tenants’ association said the protesters were employees and business 
owners unhappy with plans to redevelop the area in the heart of the 
South Korean capital. Many of the dilapidated buildings in the 
neighborhood have been torn down to make way for new businesses, real 
estate agents said.
Molotov cocktails were a common feature of the pro-democracy protests in 
South Korea in the 1980s but are rarely used against police today. Paint 
thinner used in the makeshift explosives may have helped fuel the fire, 
Baek said.
Tuesday’s clash was one of the most violent in recent years between 
police and protesters. South Koreans took to the streets last year over 
the government’s decision to reopen the market to U.S. beef but no one 
was killed in the near-daily protests.





http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/454b5914-e6aa-11dd-8e4f-0000779fd2ac,s01=1.html

Anger after six die in S Korea police clash
By Christian Oliver in Seoul
Published: January 20 2009 04:33 | Last updated: January 20 2009 18:29
Lee Myung-bak, the South Korean president, faces public protests after 
six people died during a confrontation with police on Tuesday, putting 
the government on the defensive once again.
While clashes between police and protesters are common in South Korea, 
fatalities are surprisingly rare and those that took place on Tuesday 
will give ammunition to critics of the police already angry at the 
handling of protests last year against beef imports from the US.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Finance minister axed in Seoul reshuffle - Jan-20
Opposition groups were planning on Tuesday night to mount candlelight 
vigils for the dead, a common way of galvanising political sentiment in 
Korea, while Han Seung-soo, the prime minister, delivered a message of 
regret to the nation. Mr Lee demanded an enquiry and called an emergency 
meeting of senior officials.
The confrontation began after a group of more than 30 traders from the 
central Yongsan area of the capital occupied a four-storey building on 
Monday morning to stage a sit-in protest over the demolition of their 
business premises to make way for apartment blocks. With tragic 
prescience, they had hung out a banner that read: “We are willing to die.”
The police said a commando unit had to storm the building because the 
protesters were hurling Molotov cocktails, bricks and golf balls, 
squirting hydrochloric acid and firing broken mirror shards from catapults.
While cranes were lifting the police to the roof in an armoured black 
cabin, a blaze engulfed the protesters, probably from the flammable 
spirit being used to make the Molotov cocktails, the police said. The 
full circumstances of the deaths are unclear. Four protesters and one 
policeman died. The sixth body was still unidentified. Seventeen 
policeman and six protesters were injured.
Disputes over urban redevelopment have become common in Seoul, with many 
small business owners and poor residents furious at being pushed out by 
powerful construction companies with political ties.
Seoul’s most famous landmark, the Namdaemun gateway, was burned down 
last year by an old man who received paltry compensation from property 
developers who had forced him from his home.
Last weekend, Mr Lee replaced his police chief, who had been perceived 
as being too draconian during the beef import demonstrations.
Of 467 proposed closures of businesses in Seoul to make room for 
construction, only 15 were in Yongsan, which is also home to a large US 
army base.





http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=6686411

SKorean Officials Probe Clash That Left 6 Dead
South Korean officials investigating deadly protest that left 6 dead in 
Seoul
By KWANG-TAE KIM Associated Press Writer
SEOUL, South Korea January 20, 2009 (AP)
The Associated Press

A South Korean squatter who is opposed a redevelopment plan for a 
building, shouts in Seoul, South...
(AP)
Authorities stepped up their investigation Wednesday into a deadly clash 
that left six people dead and 23 injured at a vacant office building 
occupied by displaced tenants in central Seoul.
Forensic experts searched inside the five-story building in Seoul's 
Yongsan neighborhood as human rights officials investigated whether 
police used excessive force Tuesday morning to break up the protest.
"We are looking into whether police violated human rights" of protesters 
during the clash, Yoon Seoul-ah, an official of the National Human 
Rights Commission said.
A team of 100 commandos landed on the roof in a shipping container to 
break up the protest by some 40 people who had camped for days in the 
building. The protesters were tenants and small business owners pushing 
for better compensation from construction companies redeveloping 
buildings in the area, a tenants' rights group said.
The protesters hurled Molotov cocktails at police and out the building's 
windows, police said. Fire then engulfed the rooftop within minutes, 
sending flames and black smoke shooting into the sky and trapping people 
inside, witnesses said.
Police said five bodies have been identified including one police 
officer and four protesters. They will conduct DNA analysis on a sixth 
body that was burned beyond recognition, an official at the Seoul 
Metropolitan Police Agency said on condition of anonymity, citing 
policy. He did not give details.
Police said they arrested two protesters Tuesday night after some of 
about 800 people holding a candlelight vigil near the building clashed 
with riot police. About 1,400 riot police were deployed around the 
protest site.
The incident comes as President Lee Myung-bak tries to win back public 
support amid an economic crisis and six months after the violent street 
protests that erupted over allowing U.S. beef imports last year.
Lee ordered the incident investigated and Prime Minister Han Seung-soo 
called the it "extremely unfortunate" and expressed regret over the deaths.
The tenants' association said the protesters were employees and business 
owners unhappy with plans to redevelop the area in the heart of the 
South Korean capital. Many of the dilapidated buildings in the 
neighborhood have been torn down to make way for new businesses, real 
estate agents said.
Smoke billows from a building as police officers in a container box try 
to approach squatters who...
(AP)
Molotov cocktails were a common feature of the pro-democracy protests in 
South Korea in the 1980s but are rarely used against police today.





http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Asia/Story/STIStory_332332.html

Jan 30, 2009
Warrant for protest leader

SEOUL - A SOUTH Korean court has issued a warrant for the arrest of the 
leader of a protest in Seoul that ended in a deadly clash with police 
last week.
Prosecution spokesman Oh Se-in says the leader of a tenant rights group 
is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at police sent to end the 
protest. The five other people who have been arrested are also suspected 
of hurling firebombs.
The group occupied a building in central Seoul to demand better 
compensation from developers after several were evicted from a 
dilapidated neighborhood that was scheduled for redevelopment.
Police raided the building to end the seizure and protesters threw 
firebombs at them. The clash left five protesters and one police officer 
dead and 23 injured. -- AP









http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200902/200902100039.html

Findings in Protest Tragedy Probe Announced

Prosecutors have announced the results of their investigation of the 
fire in Seoul's Yongsan district last month.
Twenty-seven demonstrators have been indicted for staging a sit-in. The 
swift police break-up resulted in a fire that killed five demonstrators 
and a police officer at a building to be redeveloped. The victims were 
caught in a fire after protesters threw Molotov cocktails at a container 
holding a police commando team that was being lowered onto the rooftop.
The prosecution attributes the tragedy to paint thinner used in making 
the Molotov cocktails. The announcement is expected to trigger huge 
protests by civic groups and political parties who demand that police be 
punished for using excessive force.
Meanwhile, the appointee for Korea's police chief is expected to step 
down on Tuesday, taking responsibility for the tragedy. Police 
commissioner general-designate Kim Seok-ki called a press conference at 
11 a.m. to express his intent to step aside.
Arirang News