By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

Police requested arrest warrants for three key members of a labor umbrella group for leading what they call illegal anti-U.S. beef demonstrations.

Among the wanted is Lee Seok-haeng, president of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the nation's two union umbrella groups.

Several key members of civic groups opposing the beef imports have been detained or arrested, but this is the first time police have attempted to arrest heads of a labor group for leading the candlelit protests.

``Once the warrant is issued, we will launch a special team responsible for arresting them,'' a police officer said. They plan to raid KCTU headquarters and their homes to secure evidence of their role in leading and organizing the protests.

Police have defined a KCTU-led protest on July 5 in central Seoul as illegal. It said KCTU members' move to occupy streets in front of Jongno Police Station on the same day to call for releasing those detained during protests was also against the law.

In the meantime, police plan to award those who contributed to quelling anti-U.S. beef protesters. A total of 385 police officers including riot police will receive awards, said the National Police Agency, Thursday.

Progressive civic groups blamed the government for praising police suppressing ``peaceful'' demonstrators, while conservative civic groups said they deserve to be rewarded.

pss@koreatimes.co.kr