[238] January 30, 1996; 30:09 GMT - Agence France Presse

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Document 238

Copyright 1996 Agence France Presse

January 30, 1996 30:09 GMT

SECTION: International news
LENGTH: 1054 words
HEADLINE: Arrest warrants sought for three SKorean MPs
BODY:

SEOUL, Jan 30 - The prosecution on Tuesday sought arrest warrants for three incumbent South Korean MPs charged with playing key roles in the 1980 massacre of some 200 pro-democracy protestors, television said.

The three -- independent lawmaker Chung Ho-Young and ruling party National Assembly members Hur Sam-Soo and Hur Hwa-Pyung, all former military officers -- had presented themselves to the prosecution earlier in the day.

Yonhap news agency quoted Seoul district court officials as saying they were ploughing through 90,000 pages of testimony to back up the warrants.

"At that time our country was in peril. I just did my best to save the country," TV showed Hur Sam-Soo as telling journalists as he entered the lobby of the chief prosecutor's office early Tuesday.

Yonhap said the three would be charged with insurrection over the 1980 Kwangju massacre, when Chung commanded the feared Special Warfare Command, and the two Hurs were colonels in the Defence Security Command, then headed by former president Chun Doo-Hwan.

Both Chun and his 1979 coup-colleague, ex-president Roh Tae-Woo are in jail, charged with insurrection, treason and massive corruption. Both have appealed the constitutionality of the mutiny charges.

The prosecution has said about 20 persons are expected to be arrested in relation to Kwangju, but have hinted that the "righting of past wrongs" will not affect active military officers who at the time of Kwangju were simply carrying out orders from above.

Some 200 people died by official count and another 1,000 were injured when junta troops used machine guns to suppress a civilian uprising in Kwangju. Rights activists say the toll may be much higher.

Meanwhile, Yonhap quoted Seoul District Court officials as saying Chun had filed a petition asking for a postponement of his trial on corruption charges, which had been scheduled to begin on Monday.

Chun, who is in hospital, cited bad health as a result of a 27-day-long protest hunger strike he launched when he was jailed on December 3.

"I ask postponement of the first trial session on February 5 on the slush fund scandal because it would be difficult for me to stand trial while still suffering vomiting and dizziness as a result of my long fast," Chun was quoted as saying in the petition.

There was no immediate indication of whether the plea would be granted.

jhl-kw/ri

SEOUL, Jan 30 - Jailed former president Chun Doo-Hwan on Tuesday filed a petition demanding postponement of his graft trial on the grounds of ill health, court officials said.

The first session of the trial had been scheduled to start on Monday.

"I ask postponement of the first session on February 5 on the slush fund scandal because it would be difficult for me to stand trial while still suffering vomiting and dizziness as a result of my long fast," Chun said.

The 65-year-old former head of state is currently in Seoul's police hospital recovering from a 27-day-long protest hunger strike he launched when he was jailed on December 3.

There was no immediate indication whether his postponement plea, filed at the Seoul district court by his lawyer, would be granted.

Meanwhile, three incumbent South Korean MPs who have been charged along with Chun with playing key roles in the 1980 massacre of some 200 pro-democracy protestors filed counter-suits Tuesday after the prosecution sought warrants for their arrest.

The three -- independent lawmaker Chung Ho-Young and ruling party National Assembly members Hur Sam-Soo and Hur Hwa-Pyung -- are all former military officers and they filed their petitions with the Seoul district court.

Court officials told journalists that the petitions challenged the constitutionality of a special law passed in December which allowed the arrests of those accused of serious national crimes, despite the statute of limitations.

If accepted by the court, the three could go free.

The court officials said they were ploughing through the 90,000 pages of testimony backing up the three arrest warrants in addition to studying the petitions.

Similar petitions have already been filed by Chun and his coup-colleague, jailed ex-president Roh Tae-Woo, who are both facing facing a triple barrage of charges related to the massacre, the coup and massive corruption while in office.

When the three MP's surrendered earlier Tuesday to the prosecution for a final quizzing before the arrest warrants were sought, Hur Sam-Soo told journalists the actions he took in 1980 were to "save the country."

"At that time our country was in peril. I just did my best to save the country," he said.