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Korea Times in its today's edition is writing following:

Anti-FTA Groups Stage Rally
  
Civic groups and labor unions staged a series of rallies against the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) as new round of FTA talks opened Monday. The anti-FTA groups estimated at about 2 million people will also have a large-scale protest at downtown Seoul on Tuesday.

The police banned all protests (democracy?? blabla..!!) by the civic groups worrying about potential violent clashes and traffic congestion, but the leftist (?) Democratic Labor Party registered its rally as resolution event of the party.
 

Although the rally is likely to draw other civic groups and labor unions, there is no way to ban it according to rallies and demonstration laws, the police said.

Authorities deployed 15,000 riot police in Seoul and tightened security to deter possible violence.
 

A civic group involved with violent anti-FTA protests last December also plans to hold a series of protest rallies during the negotiations until Friday.

A series of news conference was held and nine leftist lawmakers from the party launched a hunger strike for five days at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, the venue for the sixth round of talks to oppose the deal in downtown.

"We are here to protest the FTA because we believe it will devastate the livelihood of low-income people and our nation," Kwon Young-gil, a representative of the group, said.
 

Following yesterday’s demonstration, about 30,000 farmers, laborers and Oriental medical college students joined the large-scale rally in downtown Seoul and marched toward the Shilla Hotel after the rally, chanting anti-globalization slogans. (???)

Y'day evening's candle light rally against US-ROK FTA near Shilla Hotel

Farmers and laborers have strongly opposed the deal because it would damage their livelihoods. The demonstrations have often turned violent.

Last November, over 73,000 farmers, workers and activists collided with riot police in 13 cities and 63 people were injured, including 35 police officers and causing some 670 million won ($720,000) in property damage nationwide.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200701/kt2007011518321511990.htm

TODAY'S DEMO:

1월 16일

한미 FTA 저지 범국민대회

일시, 장소 : 1월 16일 오후 2시, 대학로 -> 신라호텔

Korea Herald is writing following in its today's edition:

Tension mounts over anti-FTA rallies 
  
Tension is escalating as activists prepare to stage massive rallies against the ongoing free trade negotiations between Korea and the United States as talks resumed in Seoul yesterday.

 
Civic activists and members of the minor Democratic Labor Party skirmished with riot police at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul in the morning as they tried to storm the main venue for the sixth round of the FTA talks.
 

Nine DLP members including Reps. Kwon Young-gil and Sim Sang-jung launched a five-day hunger strike (^^) demanding the immediate halt of talks.
 

The Korean Alliance against the Korea-U.S. FTA, a coalition of civic groups, said it would stage a series of demonstrations during the five-day negotiation despite a police ban.
 

"The Korean government has gained nothing during the past year of negotiations which have been kept secret from the public. There is no reason for the talks to go on," the alliance said in a news conference in front of the hotel.
  
The alliance held a candlelight rally in central Seoul, preparing for today's massive protest. The group had already launched a protest rally at Incheon International Airport as Wendy Cutler, a top U.S. negotiator, arrived in Korea on Sunday.
 

The group expects about 20,000 farmers and workers to faceoff against 2,000 riot police in demonstrations planned for Daehakno, Seoul, today.
 

As police banned all protest rallies organized by civic groups - citing fears of violence and traffic congestion - the radical (??^^) DLP yesterday applied for a demonstration permit under its name.
 

"Although we expect the demonstration to turn into a collaborated rally of all anti-FTA groups as was the case last December, we could not refuse the party's request according to the demonstration law," police said.
 

The anti-FTA demonstrations are to continue throughout the five-day negotiation with farmers planning large-scale protests tomorrow and Wednesday.
 

Police vow to crackdown on illegal protestors in the wake of last year's violent anti-FTA rallies which injured over 60 people, causing some 670 million won ($720,000) in property damage nationwide.
 

A group of Oriental Medicine doctors also held a press conference yesterday to reaffirm their opposition to a possible market opening.
 

Members of the Association of Korean Oriental Medicine said that it will take every possible means to block the market opening, reportedly on the negotiation table for the free trade agreement with Washington.
 

Washington has reportedly asked Seoul to allow its medical doctors to practice here without having to obtain a new local business license. The government, however, has made clear that the issue is not being discussed during the sixth round of talks.
 

Seoul and Washington have held five rounds of discussions so far on the proposed FTA, aiming to conclude the talks by March 2007 at the latest.
 

Korea's anti-FTA activists and farmers are opposed to the talks, fearing that the deal will damage their livelihoods by enabling a flood of cheap U.S. farm products to enter the country.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/01/16/200701160014.asp