A South Korean vice-foreign minister flew to Hong Kong yesterday to negotiate the release of hundreds of his countrymen arrested during anti-free trade demonstrations.
South Korea expected 838 of 850 South Korean protesters, mainly farmers and trade unionists, to be released while the other 12 would remain in detention for further questioning, a foreign ministry official said.
They were among around 1,000 protesters rounded up at the weekend after clashing with police while demonstrating against World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks.
As part of the negotiations to win their release, vice-foreign minister Lee Kyu-hyung would "express regret over the violence" in meetings with senior officials in the former British colony, a South Korean foreign ministry spokesman said. "He will also ask the authorities for leniency," he added.
Protesters, mostly South Koreans, who say freer trade promoted by the WTO hurts their business, broke through police lines on Saturday night and advanced to within a block of the convention centre where WTO ministers were meeting.
Many attacked riot police with bamboo poles, wooden beams and bottles as they tried to crash the meeting. Police repelled them with pepper spray and tear gas.
The violence was the worst in decades in the city of seven million people and dozens of protesters and police were injured.
In South Korea, the incident is proving to be a headache for the government. A leading newspaper said the violence undermined South Korea's bargaining position and hurt the positive image of the country cultivated through exports of pop culture to Asia.
The world saw the positive side of South Korean pride during the 2002 soccer World Cup, with the outpouring of support the country gave its team in a run to the semi-finals.
"Nothing was gained through illegal and violent rallies. Instead of reinforcing the negotiating powers of our representatives, the rallies only compromised their image," South Korea's mainstream JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial.
When the fighting subsided on Saturday, hundreds of protesters staged a sit-down protest on one of Hong Kong's busiest roads and police arrested them early on Sunday.
Police said they released 188 protesters later, including 150 Korean women, because they lacked evidence against them.
Hong Kong's government and police declined to comment on Mr Lee's visit. - (Reuters)
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