Seoul Protesters Clash With Police
Thousands of South Korean demonstrators demanding a corruption probe of President Kim Young Sam over a slush fund scandal clashed with riot police in Seoul on Saturday.
More than 10,000 students and other protesters, some wielding iron bars and hurling bricks, fought running battles with helmeted police in Seoul.
“Death to everyone involved in corruption,” demonstrators chanted, their eyes streaming from volleys of tear gas shells fired by police. “Death to the Kim Young Sam government.”
Violent protests erupted elsewhere in the capital and in at least 17 other cities as demonstrators demanded the arrest of former President Roh Tae Woo, who admitted last week to amassing a $653-million slush fund, and a criminal investigation of the current president.
The demonstrators accused Kim of protecting Roh, his political mentor, and hiding his own links to the slush fund.
On Saturday, prosecutors engaged in a complex paper chase for Roh’s hidden wealth said they suspected he acquired huge tracts of real estate, including two skyscrapers in Seoul, Yonhap news agency reported.
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.
