Feature: S.Korean farmers still want peaceful anti-Park rally despite police blockade

Lee Tae-young, a member of South Korea's biggest farmers' union, said he and his fellow farmers still want a peaceful rally against President Park Geun-hye to be held in the capital Seoul.

The 58-year-old farmer, who left for Seoul from his hometown Goseong county in South Gyeongsang province, told Xinhua that farmers still clamor for a peaceful demonstration though they are enraged at police blockade.

About 1,000 members of the Korean Peasants League (KPL) departed in two groups for Seoul from the country's southeast and southwest regions 11 days earlier.

They had driven tractors and trucks along the roads to Seoul, hanging up flags reading "Guarantee stable rice price", "Arrest Park Geun-hye" and "Park Geun-hye, step down." It was part of the rally to encourage other farmers to join the driving protest.

To farmers, tractor that is used to put soil upside down has a symbolic meaning to force scandal-plagued President Park to resign or be impeached.

Farmers attempted to carry tractors and other farming machines on trucks and arrive in the capital city at Friday night, but it was blocked by police in expressway ramps close to Seoul.

"Despite court approval, police blockaded access roads to Seoul. Police is intentionally enraging farmers to cause violent rallies," said Lee. He claimed that police mobilized private trucks to disguise them as farmers-driven ones.

Over 30 farmers were taken to police stations, and about 30 vehicles were towed away. Some of the KPL members were taken to hospitals for injuries they suffered in a tussle with police officers.

The scheduled Friday protest failed to be carried out. Some returned back to their hometowns as police disallowed tractors to approach the capital city.

The Seoul administrative court allowed tractors and trucks to enter Seoul though it prohibited the driving rally citing heavier traffic jam. But, police banned the entrance of all farming machines, saying it could be used in this Saturday's demonstration.

The fifth weekend demonstration is set to be held around the Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, just over a kilometer away from the presidential Blue House where President Park's office and residence are located.

The first snow of this winter was falling, but people began to gather around the square in early afternoon. Some were putting on a raincoat having a sticker reading "People are the country's owner" on the back.

Others were putting up an umbrella to join the snowy rally, which organizers estimate would draw 1.5 million people in Seoul alone and 500,000 in major cities across the country.

It will become the country's largest-ever demonstration in downtown Seoul. At the third Saturday rally on Nov. 12, around 1.3 million marched in the capital city, surpassing the June 1987 demonstration that drew about 1 million protesters.

The farmer, who pulled down his winter jacket hood low on his face to avoid falling snow, told Xinhua that he voted for Park in the 2012 presidential election as many of people in his hometown did.

Now, it is hardly to find anyone who does not denounce the first South Korean female leader in the southeast region, a political home turf that had granted many election victories to President Park and her ruling Saenuri Party, the farmer said.

He resolutely noted that he and his fellow farmers will continue to fight against the Park administration who committed "unimaginable" wrongdoings. Endit