KOREA'S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FAILS TO PASS BILL ON FTA WITH CHILE.

AsiaPulse News, December, 2003

SEOUL, Dec 30 Asia Pulse - South Korea's National Assembly failed to pass a long-delayed bill on a free trade agreement with Chile during its plenary session Monday, due to objections from lawmakers from rural districts.

The parliament was scheduled to put the Chile FTA bill to a vote during the plenary session, but failed to do so in the face of strong resistance from lawmakers from rural constituencies.

Prior to the opening of the plenary session, a group of 20 lawmakers occupied the office of House Speaker Park Kwan-yong to press the parliamentary leader to cancel the planned vote on the FTA bill.

At the same time, some 3,000 farmers from across the country staged a violent demonstration right in front of the National Assembly building in...