Farmers, including members of the Korean Peasants League, burn a structure symbolizing the National Assembly’s passing of a bill last month to further open the domestic rice market, in front of the National Assembly building in Yoido, Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap

Thousands of farmers clashed with police in Yoido, Seoul, Tuesday in a rally protesting the National Assembly’s passing of a bill last month proposing wider rice imports, with protestors wielding rocks and steel pipes against the riot police in the streets nearing the parliamentary building.

Police said that more than 130 farmers and police officers were injured during the incident, with the police rounding up 56 protestors for violence.

The Korea Peasants League, which organized Tuesday’s protest, Wednesday criticized the police reaction to the rally, claiming they escalated the situation by resorting to physical tactics too early.

They also said they will continue to organize rallies nationwide ahead of the National Assembly’s ratification vote on the rice bill on Nov. 23. The group’s plans include holding a large-scale protest in Pusan ahead of the summit meeting of the leaders of the APEC member states scheduled for Nov. 18-19.

``We will organize a farmers’ rally in Pusan Nov. 18, to express our anger against the visit of U.S. President George W. Bush, who is continuing to put political pressure on our government to open the rice market wider,’’ a statement from the Korean Peasants League said.

``We are planning another rally in front of the National Assembly on Nov. 21. We are also planning a nationwide rally blocking the country’s major highways and railways Nov. 23,’’ said the group.

Civic and religious groups, including the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice and the Citizens’ Coalition for Democratic Media, also released a joint statement Wednesday denouncing the police reaction on Tuesday’s rally.

Korean farmers have been raising their voices in opposition to the government’s move to further open the rice market, since the National Assembly passed the rice bill last month.

Last year, the government signed an agreement with nine rice-exporting countries to increase Korea’s rice import quota to 7.96 percent by 2014, from the current 4 percent, in return for a 10-year delay in reducing tariffs on rice. Korea is also required to permit up to 30 percent of the imported rice to be sold directly in consumer markets by 2010.