January 07, 2009	Wednesday	Muharram 09, 1430

SEOUL, Jan 6: South Korea’s political impasse over contentious law bills — including the ratification of a free trade deal with the US — ended today in a compromise, politicians said.

Representatives from the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and three splinter opposition groups struck an agreement on how to deal with the controversial bills, they said.

“We’ve almost got there. You may call it a tentative agreement,” GNP’s parliamentary leader Hong Jun-Pyo told journalists, following a meeting with representatives from other parties.

Details were not announced but South Korea’s CBS radio said the GNP had agreed not to push ahead with the ratification of the free trade agreement before the next US president Barack Obama takes office on Jan 20.

It also consented not to force a controversial bill through parliament under which large businesses and newspapers would be allowed to acquire controlling stakes in local broadcasters.

Critics say if enacted, this legislation would strengthen the political right’s control on news media.

Further details of the deal were not known but the rival parties have also been wrangling over tax cuts for the wealthy, easing regulations on industrial conglomerates’ ownership of banks and the privatisation of the state-run Korea Development Bank.

The agreement came hours after the DP ended its occupation of parliamentary conference rooms that had been aimed at thwarting the GNP’s attempts to pass the contentious bills. The Opposition’s action began on Dec 18.

Violent scuffles broke out several times between rival lawmakers and security staff during the sit-ins. The latest clash on Saturday left 53 security guards and two opposition legislators injured.

The opposition, which has 83 seats in the 299-member legislature, against the GNP’s 172, says South Korea should not ratify the free trade agreement before the US Congress does, and wants the deal to be reviewed.—AFP