South Korea Kicking and Screaming

Students charge that Roh's goal is to accumulate power

As the newly formed ruling party of South Korea met to celebrate its merger last week, a referendum of sorts broke out in the streets. About 70,000 protesters, mostly students, took control of downtown Seoul and 16 provincial cities. They battled police, injuring 335 of them, and fire bombed party offices and the U.S. Information Service headquarters in the capital. More than 1,800 rioters were arrested, but only 55 were formally charged.

In spite of the optimism with which the formation of the Democratic Liberal Party was welcomed four months ago, its fortunes are already going downhill. At the national elections...

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