SOUTH KOREA: FIGHTING BREAKS OUT AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY DEBATE

Описание: (6 Jan 1999) Natural Sound

Despite a scuffle with the opposition, ruling party legislators took control of South Korea's General Assembly and approved 66 bills, including a fisheries accord with Japan.

Opposition members have been boycotting the legislative session after accusing the government intelligence agency of spying on them.

Ruling party lawmakers and their allies, who enjoy a slim majority, have been conducting business this week without the opposition.

This was not just another day of normal debate in South Korea's General Assembly.

A new fisheries treaty with Japan was being strongly contested by the opposition.

The opposing legislators of President Kim Dae-jung's government started off with preventing Speaker Park June-kyu from coming out of his room.

So ruling party politicians helped Vice Speaker Kim Bong-ho enter the Assembly.

Then tempers soared.

Fighting erupted when members of the ruling coalition camp shoved their way through opposition legislators blocking entrances to the main Assembly hall.

Guarded by ruling party legislators, the vice speaker called the Assembly into session and slammed down his gavel to pass a package of 66 bills, including the one that ratified the fishing treaty, in 15 minutes.

Angry catcalls from opposition legislators went ignored.

Under the fishing accord, Japan and South Korea agreed to set up a joint fishing zone around a set of disputed islets.

The islets are located about 35 nautical miles (40 miles, 64 kilometres) from the shores of both countries.

A debate over the theft of classified government documents also fuelled tempers in the National Assembly building.

Prosecutors barred 10 opposition legislators from leaving the country on Wednesday to face an investigation into the theft of classified government documents.

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