Police Accused of Using Excess Force to Guard First Lady Kim
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Police are drawing criticism as they allegedly used excess force in guarding first lady Kim Yoon-ok from Ewha Womans University students who were rallying against tuition fee hikes.
Some students are claiming that police sexually harassed a number of students and dozens were injured.
On Saturday, the school was trying to award Kim with a Distinguished Alumni Award for her role in helping her husband win the presidential election last December.
While Kim was moving to the luncheon place with Ewha President Lee Bae-yong, about 100 students were blocking them asking for talks with the school head over tuition hikes.
During the scuffling, hundreds of students waiting for chapel joined them and the clash became fiercer, leaving dozens of students sustaining minor injuries, students said. Some students are claiming policemen rubbed their breasts and hips.
A junior student said ``Police pushed students causing some of them to fall down stairs. Many other students got injured.''
Police are denying these allegations. The school said the students' protest has nothing to do with the award ceremony of the first lady in its statement regarding the accident. ``We understand that police had to guard the first lady closely. We will find out whether police reacted excessively toward the students,’’ an Ewha spokeswoman said.