Thousands March in S. Korea, Call for Overthrow of President

KWANGJU, South Korea —  As many as 50,000 people chanting “Down with the dictatorship” marched through this southwestern Korean city Wednesday to demand the overthrow of President Roh Tae Woo for his part in the brutal suppression of a 1980 uprising.

Students and workers paraded in front of the provincial government headquarters for a seventh straight day to denounce the government. The protest came on the eve of the ninth anniversary of the Kwangju uprising.

Shops and hotels near Kwangju’s central square pulled down their shutters as the huge crowd massed.

The protesters, many wearing red headbands, shouted slogans claiming that police killed a radical student earlier this month. Many office workers joined high school and college students in the protest.

Flags and Garish Banners

“Punish Roh Tae Woo,” the waves of protesters chanted as they marched with red, blue and yellow flags and garish banners with anti-government slogans.

Riot police armed with shields and truncheons surrounded government buildings, but no violence was reported Wednesday. Violent clashes between protesters and police in the square Tuesday night left about 60 people injured.

Anti-government sentiment in Kwangju was inflamed by the discovery May 10 of the body of the radical student, Lee Chol Kyu, in a reservoir near the city.

Police had been hunting for the 24-year-old student for his alleged anti-government activities, which included writing articles praising Communist North Korea.

In an autopsy report released this week, officials said that Lee drowned after falling into a reservoir while fleeing from police.

However, much of the 600,000 population of Kwangju believes that Lee was murdered by police.

There is no doubt “that he was murdered,” a taxi driver said at Wednesday’s protest.

And protesters chanted: “Punish Roh Tae Woo who killed Lee Chol Kyu!”

Meanwhile, in Seoul, 2,000 radical college students staged peaceful protests at three colleges Wednesday to mark the Kwangju uprising and call for Roh’s downfall. Riot police blocked about 500 students from marching out of Yonsei University, but there were no clashes.

Police are on alert nationwide because of protests expected today to mark the anniversary of the Kwangju uprising that began May 18, 1980. According to government count, at least 192 people were killed in the nine-day uprising, which was suppressed by South Korean troops. Opposition figures put the death toll at nearly 1,000.

Dissident groups are demanding that Roh, who was a senior general at the time, and other top South Korean officials be punished for the suppression of the uprising.

The government says troops were sent in to end the violence.