(10 Mar 2001) Korean/Nat
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It was supposed to be a mock clash, but the gasoline bombs were all too real.
At a police drill ground in Seoul, riot officers playing the role of protesters hurled about 100 firebombs at rows of colleagues, who dodged the missiles or batted them away with shields.
Nobody got hurt in the drill Friday, but the exercise was an ominous signal that - after a long hiatus - Molotov cocktails have made a comeback at protests in South Korea.
A feature of protests against military-backed rule in the 1980s, firebombs became a frequent sight at demonstrations in the past several weeks against layoffs at Daewoo Motor Co., South Korea's third-largest carmaker.
Although most rallies are peaceful, the National Police Agency is so worried about the phenomenon that it launched a new unit trained to counter the firebombs, and invited journalists along to see it practise. Smaller units were launched in provincial cities as well.
"Firebombs are back!" Seoul police chief Lee Pal-ho told 1,720 policemen in helmets, padded vests and white sneakers. "We expect that students and workers will join forces and protests will become more violent in the coming months."
Police say activists threw 830 firebombs in six demonstrations so far this year, even before the traditional spring protest season.
In 2000, 750 firebombs were tossed in seven protests.
The return of firebombs is associated with rising frustration over President Kim Dae-jung's efforts to overhaul the economy in the wake of the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis.
His fitful program of reforms has led to layoffs and painful corporate restructuring.
Firebombs had largely disappeared from the scene after Kim, a former opposition leader who once enjoyed wide popularity among student activists and workers, became president in early 1998.
Protests grew so tame that police even suspended the use of one of their favorite riot props, tear gas, later that year.
At the riot drill Friday, police deflected firebombs before charging their adversaries through clouds of smoke and pools of flame, grabbing and dragging away mock protesters.
"We must exterminate firebombs. We must arrest those who throw firebombs at the scene," Lee said.
He handed out envelopes of cash as a reward to his company commanders for their successful handling of the mock riot.
A gasoline bomb usually consists of a rag stuffed in the neck of a glass bottle.
The rag is set ablaze, and the hurled bottle explodes on impact.
At some recent protests against layoffs, the use of firebombs seemed heavily ritualized.
Applauded by comrades, protesters arrived with crates of the missiles.
Then they lit them and marched in files to the front of the crowd to fling them at police.
"Firebombs are our means of making our voices heard and securing a place for our demonstrations," said Park Sung-bae, spokesman of the Daewoo Motor union.
SOUNDBITE: (Korea)
"We must exterminate firebombs and violent protest. As the selected ones from various riot police units, you must arrest those who throw firebombs at the scene despite any hardships. Therefore, you must build up principle of securing law, exterminating illegality.'
SUPER CAPTION: Lee Pal-ho Seoul Metropolitan Police chief
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