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SEOUL: South Korea's main opposition party on Tuesday ended a series of sit-ins sparked by disagreements over key legislation that brought business at the national assembly to a halt for weeks.
Members of the Democratic Party (DP) ended a 12-day occupation of the main parliamentary hall and also withdrew from other protests, some dating back to December 18, elsewhere in the building.
"The DP turns the main parliamentary hall back to normal today," DP chief Chung Se-Kyun said, leading party colleagues out of the main hall.
Parliament officials confirmed that the main hall and committee rooms, also once occupied by DP members, had all returned to normal.
The DP launched the protests to block the majority governing Grand National Party (GNP) from pushing through controversial bills, including one to ratify a free trade agreement with the United States.
Violent scuffles broke out several times between rival lawmakers and security staff during the sit-ins. The latest clash on Saturday left 53 security guards and two opposition legislators injured.
The opposition, however, began easing its stance on Sunday when National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-O promised not to invoke his authority to force members to vote on the controversial bills. He urged the rival parties to compromise until Thursday.
Negotiators from the DP and the GNP were in a second day of discussions Tuesday to narrow differences over how to handle the bills that originally provoked the dispute.
The opposition, which has 83 seats in the 299-member legislature compared with the GNP's 172, says South Korea should not ratify the free trade agreement before the US Congress does. The opposition insists on reviewing the deal.
The GNP sees the pact as necessary to stimulate the slowing economy and argues that approval by Seoul will encourage the US Congress to move faster.
Another controversial bill would allow large businesses and newspapers to acquire controlling stakes in local broadcasters.
- AFP/yb
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