South Korean prosecutors on Thursday indicted almost 30 MPs and the leader of the main opposition party on assault and other charges over a two-day parliamentary stand-off.

In an attempt to stop legislation being passed, members of the opposition Liberty Korea party (LKP) lay on the floor linking arms to block access to a committee room, and blockaded an MP in his office for five hours.

Scuffles broke out as MPs of the governing Democratic party tried to force their way into the hall in April.

Seoul prosecutors indicted the LKP leader Hwang Kyo-ahn and 23 of his MPs -- including former parliamentary floor leader Na Kyung-won -- on charges including causing a commotion at the national assembly and illegal detention.&nbsp;

Five Democratic party MPs were indicted on accusations of assault.

Among the 29 accused, prosecutors said 18 will face court trials, including Hwang and Na, while the others are likely to be fined without court proceedings as their offences are considered minor.&nbsp;

The indictment comes three months before a legislative election and if any of the MPs are fined five million won (US$4,300) or more on conviction, they will be stripped of their seats and barred from standing for re-election for five years.

The LKP said the five-to-24 ratio of charges was "unfair" and "unbalanced", while Na -- who is herself a former judge -- condemned the indictment as "politically retaliatory" and claimed it was "top-down ordered" by the administration of President Moon Jae-in.

Score-settling is ingrained in the country's winner-takes-all political system, with every one of the country's living former presidents either currently in prison or convicted of crimes after leaving office.&nbsp;

The dispute broke out when the governing party and its allies sought to fast-track a series of reform bills, among them setting up a body to probe corruption by high-ranking officials.&nbsp;

South Korean prosecutors on Thursday indicted almost 30 MPs and the leader of the main opposition party on assault and other charges over a two-day parliamentary stand-off.

South Korean prosecutors on Thursday indicted almost 30 MPs and the leader of the main opposition party on assault and other charges over a two-day parliamentary stand-off. In an attempt to stop legislation being passed, members of the opposition Liberty Korea party (LKP) lay on the floor linking arms to block access to a committee room, and blockaded an MP in his office for five hours. Scuffles broke out as MPs of the governing Democratic party tried to force their way into the hall in April. Seoul prosecutors indicted the LKP leader Hwang Kyo-ahn and 23 of his MPs -- including former parliamentary floor leader Na Kyung-won -- on charges including causing a commotion at the national assembly and illegal detention. Five Democratic party MPs were indicted on accusations of assault. Among the 29 accused, prosecutors said 18 will face court trials, including Hwang and Na, while the others are likely to be fined without court proceedings as their offences are considered minor. The indictment comes three months before a legislative election and if any of the MPs are fined five million won (US$4,300) or more on conviction, they will be stripped of their seats and barred from standing for re-election for five years. The LKP said the five-to-24 ratio of charges was "unfair" and "unbalanced", while Na -- who is herself a former judge -- condemned the indictment as "politically retaliatory" and claimed it was "top-down ordered" by the administration of President Moon Jae-in. Score-settling is ingrained in the country's winner-takes-all political system, with every one of the country's living former presidents either currently in prison or convicted of crimes after leaving office. The dispute broke out when the governing party and its allies sought to fast-track a series of reform bills, among them setting up a body to probe corruption by high-ranking officials.

Dozens of South Korean MPs charged over parliamentary stand-off

South Korea commemorated the 66th anniversary of the beginning of the 1950-53 Korean War today in Seoul. 
 
The Korean War started on June 25, 1950, when Communist North Korean troops launched a surprise attack across the 38th parallel into South Korea. 
 
US-led United Nations forces battled Chinese- and Soviet-backed North Korea, in which three million soldiers and civilians were killed and five million became refugees. 
 
About 5,000 war veterans and civilians, along with government officials, attended a ceremony to mark the anniversary. 
 
South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions. 
 
&quot;It has been a long time since the sound of gunfire has stopped. But we are still facing off on each side of the ceasefire line. As a divided country, our security remains unstable,&quot; Hwang said. 
 
&quot;The government will not stand idly against North Korea&#39;s continuing provocations. We will surely defend our country and take every possible measure to make North Korea give up nuclear weapons and come out on to the path of change and reform,&quot; Hwang added. 
 
North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range missile on June 22 to a high altitude in the direction of Japan before it plunged into the sea, military officials said, a technological advance for the isolated state after several test failures. 
 
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un said after supervising the test launch of an intermediate-range missile that the country now has the capability to attack US interests in the Pacific, official media reported on June 23. 
 
&quot;Well I&#39;m really impressed with how fast things have been changed, the country. I didn&#39;t realise that Seoul is as big as it is. I didn&#39;t get there when I was over here in &#39;51. I was all along the 38th went through Incheon. That&#39;s where I came in and landed. When I got over here there was nothing left, everything was burnt,&quot; said one of the American war veterans, Vernon E. Neuharth, who attended the cermony. 
 
North and South Korea are still technically at war since the 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce without a peace treaty. 
 
(Reuters)

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions

South Korea commemorated the 66th anniversary of the beginning of the 1950-53 Korean War today in Seoul. The Korean War started on June 25, 1950, when Communist North Korean troops launched a surprise attack across the 38th parallel into South Korea. US-led United Nations forces battled Chinese- and Soviet-backed North Korea, in which three million soldiers and civilians were killed and five million became refugees. About 5,000 war veterans and civilians, along with government officials, attended a ceremony to mark the anniversary. South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions. "It has been a long time since the sound of gunfire has stopped. But we are still facing off on each side of the ceasefire line. As a divided country, our security remains unstable," Hwang said. "The government will not stand idly against North Korea's continuing provocations. We will surely defend our country and take every possible measure to make North Korea give up nuclear weapons and come out on to the path of change and reform," Hwang added. North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range missile on June 22 to a high altitude in the direction of Japan before it plunged into the sea, military officials said, a technological advance for the isolated state after several test failures. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un said after supervising the test launch of an intermediate-range missile that the country now has the capability to attack US interests in the Pacific, official media reported on June 23. "Well I'm really impressed with how fast things have been changed, the country. I didn't realise that Seoul is as big as it is. I didn't get there when I was over here in '51. I was all along the 38th went through Incheon. That's where I came in and landed. When I got over here there was nothing left, everything was burnt," said one of the American war veterans, Vernon E. Neuharth, who attended the cermony. North and South Korea are still technically at war since the 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce without a peace treaty. (Reuters)

South Korea commemorates 66th anniversary of Korean war

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Dozens of South Korean MPs charged over parliamentary stand-off

South Korea commemorates 66th anniversary of Korean war