By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo said Tuesday that the government will strictly follow the law in dealing with Chinese protesters involved in violence during the Olympic torch relay in Seoul, Sunday.
Chinese nationals involved in violent skirmishes will not only be subject to prosecution but will also be deported if found guilty, a government official said.
In a Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Han said, ``The incident hurt our Korean national pride. We will deal with this incident with the appropriate legal and diplomatic measures."
He expressed regret that the torch relay event turned violent and added that the existing laws against violent protests will be applied to the Chinese nationals involved.
Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han said his ministry will take tough measures against those who broke the law by committing violence, regardless of their nationality.
Kim said his deputies have begun an investigation into the matter and that they are gathering evidence including videotapes, statements from the police and other witnesses and closed-circuit television records from the surrounding buildings.
On Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon had also delivered a message of ``strong regret'' to Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Ning Fukui.
Sunday's clash began when scores of Chinese nationals ― many of them students studying at Korean universities ― pushed through police lines and hurled rocks, bottles of water and steel pipes at Korean human-rights activists holding rallies at the torch relay event.
Some several thousand Chinese nationals were reported to have shown up during the 20-kilometer torch relay in Seoul.
Local media reported incidents of Chinese students clashing with Korean activists and punching or kicking them.
The activists protested China's human rights records, Beijing's crackdown on North Korean refugees and China's crackdown on Tibet's independence movement during their rallies.
According to police, several Koreans were hurt, including the rights activists and riot police.