SOUTH KOREA WILL TRY TO MAKE CIVILIAN PROTESTERS STAND COURT MARTIAL IF THEY TRESPASS ON A PLANNED SITE FOR A NEW U.S. MILITARY BASE AND ATTACK SOLDIERS DEPLOYED THERE TO CLEAR THE AREA, OFFICIALS SAID ON MONDAY. A SOUTH KOREAN COURT ON MONDAY ISSUED ARREST WARRANTS FOR 10 OF SOME 1,000 PROTESTERS OPPOSED TO THE U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE IN SOUTH KOREA WHO CLASHED WITH POLICE LAST WEEK WHEN MILITARY ENGINEERS CORDONED OFF PARTS OF TWO RURAL TOWNSHIPS FOR USE BY THE U.S. MILITARY. SCORES OF PROTESTERS, POLICE AND SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN INJURED IN CLASHES AT THE SITE IN THE CITY OF PYONGTAEK, ABOUT 70 KILOMETRES (45 MILES) SOUTH OF SEOUL. SOUTH KOREA AND THE UNITED STATES AGREED TWO YEARS AGO TO RELOCATE THE MAIN U.S. BASE NOW IN SEOUL AND SEVERAL OTHERS IN THE COUNTRY TO THE AREA. "IF ANYONE ATTACKS GUARD TROOPS AND INJURES SOLDIERS, MILITARY CRIMINAL LAW SHOULD BE APPLIED," MAJOR GENERAL PARK KYUNG-SEO, WHO HEADS THE SOUTH KOREA'S TASK FORCE ON BASE MOVES, WAS QUOTED BY A DEFENCE OFFICIAL AS TELLING REPORTERS. PARK SAID EARLIER ON A KBS RADIO PROGRAMME ANYONE WHO TRESPASSES INTO THE SITE WILL BE MADE TO STAND COURT MARTIAL. "APPLYING MILITARY CRIMINAL LAW MEANS THE PERSON WILL BE PUT TO COURT MARTIAL," PARK SAID.
