Koreans may face charges

Press, 24 September 1988, Page 28

Koreans may face charges

From

PAUL LEWIS

in Seoul Korean police will question five of the people who attacked the New Zealand boxing referee, Keith Walker, at the Seoul Olympics on Thursday and they could face criminal charges. A police spokesman said yesterday that the South Korean Government had ordered the police to investigate the nasty incident in . the boxing ring when Walker was beseiged by Koreans outraged at his handling of the bout involving the Korean bantamweight Jong-Il Byun. Walker fled the country later that day saying that he feared for his life and, with most Korean newspapers outraged at the violent scenes in the ring, the Government has begun something of a witchhunt.

The spokesman said the five people, three Olympic coaches and two officials, would be questioned and could face prosecution on charges that held a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment. Among them is Korea’s chief boxing coach, Kim Sung-Eun and the assistant coaches. All five — including the two boxing officials — have been suspended from their Olympic duties. Meanwhile, radical students have threatened to “blow up the Olympics” unless police release their leader, Oh Young-Shik, the head of the National Students Representatives Council.

The students have given the authorities until next Tuesday to free Oh, who was arrested on Thursday after taking part in an anti-Government rally