Labor party leader indicted for violence in parliament

SEOUL, Jan. 29 (Yonhap) -- Rep. Kang Ki-kab, leader of the progressive Democratic Labor Party (DLP), was indicted without detention Thursday on charges of obstructing official parliamentary duties and will soon face court trial, prosecutors said.

Kang is accused of throwing furniture in the office of National Assembly Speaker
Kim Hyung-o, assaulting parliamentary security guards and using foul language in
protesting against the forced breakup of a sit-in staged by DLP lawmakers and
officials on Jan. 5.
The minor opposition party staged the demonstration in tandem with the main
opposition Democratic Party (DP) to protest against the ruling Grand National
Party's bid to push through a number of controversial bills on media and banking
reform.
The opposition parties occupied the Assembly's main chamber and other facilities
for nearly two weeks until Jan. 6.
The Assembly's secretariat filed a complaint against Kang with the police and
prosecution earlier this month, but the DLP leader has defied their summons five
times.
"The prosecution has already secured sufficient evidence to prove Kang's criminal
charges. We have indicted him without questioning him, because he has repeatedly
ignored our summons," said a spokesman of the Seoul Nambu District Public
Prosecutor's Office.
With the indictment, Kang will be the first lawmaker to face court trial in
connection with the violence in the National Assembly, he said, adding a number
of other DP and DLP lawmakers are now under investigation on similar charges.
Kang, well known for his distinctive beard and traditional Korean attire, stunned
the nation in the general elections in April last year by defeating a top aide to
President Lee Myung-bak in an electoral district near Busan.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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