Farmers angry at lifting of restrictions on garlic imports

Seoul - July 22, 2002 1. Wideshot of protest 2. Protester singing 3. Midshot of protesters holding flags 4. Wideshot of protester 5. Wideshot of stage 6. Wideshot of protesters shouting 7. SOUNDBITE: (Korean) Park Ki-hong, 46 years old, Garlic farmer for 20 years "If the agreement goes ahead, the income of farms will drop 20 percent and the farms' economy will collapse." 8. Pan of protesters 9. SOUNDBITE: (Korean) Jeong Hang-chan, President of the Farmers Union "The government has been negotiating while lying to its people. If Chinese garlic comes in, the lives of nation's 500-thousand garlic farms will be at risk. The Korean Farmers' League will keep up a nationwide struggle until the deal is nullified." 10. Various of protesters 11. Wideshot of riot police 14. Midshot of farmers 15. Mid shot, riot police APTN File - 2001 16. Midshot of formal chief economic aide for South Korean president, Han Duk-su with reporters. (Fired on Friday 19 July) 17. Midshot of South Korean President Kim shaking hands with Mr. Han when he became a chief economic aide 18. Pan from Mr. Han to president Kim 19. Wideshot, pull out STORYLINE: Around a thousand farmers demonstrated in Seoul on Monday to demand that the South Korean government scrap a trade deal which will lift restrictions on garlic imports from China. The farmers, all from different parts of the country, fear that lifting the import limit will result in flooding domestic markets with cheap Chinese garlic. "If farmers die, the country will soon perish!" shouted the farmers, pumping their fists into the air. The farmers wore head bands that read,"We oppose imports of garlic!" and "Nullify the trade deal with China!" The farmers were also angry over some key details of a deal between South Korea and China last year, which were not released to public until they were recently leaked to the media. South Korea imposed a 315-percent tariff on cheap Chinese garlic in 2000 to protect its garlic farmers. China retaliated by banning shipments of cellular phones and polyethylene from South Korea. The dispute ended a year later when the South Korean government cut the tariff to 30 percent and agreed to import 32-thousand tons of Chinese garlic a year. Details were revealed when the government announced the deal last year, but the requirement that South Korea lift the 32-thousand ton import limit next January wasn't made public until it recently appeared in the media. Last week, President Kim Dae-jung fired his chief economic aide and deputy agriculture minister amid rising protests. The opposition and garlic farmers claim those responsible should be held accountable. On Monday, the opposition Grand National Party said the sackings of Chief Presidential Economic Secretary Han Duk-su and Deputy Agricultural Minister Seo Kyu-ryong were not enough. South Korean imports of Chinese garlic totalled 10 (m) million US dollars last year. South Korea sells 12 (m) million US dollars worth of cell phones to China a year. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/49ffa60fdde81be0c8f15ca64b60cad9 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork