S. Korean Students Battle Police Over Festival in North
Thousands of radical South Korean students calling for the overthrow of President Roh Tae Woo battled riot police with firebombs, rocks and clubs Friday in campus protests in four cities, police said.
Fighting involving 5,000 students occurred at five campuses in Seoul, Kwangju, Taejon and Chonju after riot police blocked students from marching into the streets, police officials said. Protesters surged out of the campuses to attack police with hundreds of firebombs.
Police officials said there were numerous minor injuries, but they had no reports of arrests.
Student leaders called for the overthrow of Roh and demanded to be allowed to take part in a youth festival next month in Communist North Korea. South Korea’s government has refused to allow the students to take part in the 13th World Youth Festival in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, on July 1-8.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
