Minister urges end to protests against North’s role in games

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Minister urges end to protests against North’s role in games

Following another threat from North Korea to boycott the 2003 Summer Universiade, South Korea’s minister of culture and tourism, Lee Chang-dong, urged his countrymen yesterday to stop provoking the North with protests and allow the youth games to go ahead peacefully.
“Some civic groups were politicizing the sports festival of friendship and unity of the world youth,” Mr. Lee said yesterday.
The minister also vowed to control any actions that might further irritate the North Koreans. “It is the duty of the host to help the guests to attend the sports competition in a safe and agreeable environment,” Mr. Lee said. “If the government needs strong action to meet the duty, we will do so.’’
North Korean athletes participated yesterday in the games as planned, but the cheerleading squad did not.
A series of anti-North Korea demonstrations continued in South Korea throughout the week. Jon Kuk-man, head of the North Korean delegation, held a press conference Tuesday and demanded a government apology for repeated protests near the sports festival. A scuffle between human rights activists and North Korean journalists had also erupted Sunday when the reporters, enraged by anti-Kim Jong-il slogans, attacked protesters.
The confrontation shows no sign of ending. A South Korean activist, involved in the brawl, filed a complaint to the Seoul District Public Prosecutor’s Office yesterday against a North Korean reporter, Mr. Jon, the head delegate, and South Korean officials in charge of safety of the games.
“I asked the prosecution to investigate North Korean journalist Kim Kwang-jin and Mr. Jon who demanded punishment of the activists, on charges of using violence and threats against the protesters” Jang Hyeong-ryeol said. “I also filed a complaint against Lee Byung-jin, Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency head, for being negligent in his duty.”

By Sohn Jang-hwan, Jeon Jin-bae / JoongAng Ilbo
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