South Korea minority party files suit against ruling party after quashed protest News
South Korea minority party files suit against ruling party after quashed protest

[JURIST] South Korea's minority Democratic Party [official website, in Korean] filed a criminal suit Sunday after Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o [official website] on Saturday ordered security guards to end a sit-in by the minority party, which led to dozens of injuries. Democratic Party officials allege abuse of power [AP report] by the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) [official website] and filed suit against Kim, Chief of Police Eo Cheong-soo, and two other GNP parliamentary officials. The protest was aimed at preventing President Lee Myung-bak [BBC profile] from passing a series of bills including a free trade agreement [text, USTR materials] with the US before the current legislative session ends on Thursday.

The US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) was signed by both parties on June 30, 2007 [USTR press release] after eight rounds of negotiations concluded on April 1, 2007, but has yet to be ratified by either party. The agreement is intended to increase bi-lateral trade and economic investment in both countries. Under the agreement 64 percent of Korea's agriculture imports from the US would become duty free, as well as 95 percent of bi-lateral trade in industrial and consumer products. The agreement would also eliminate all tariffs on automobile trade between the two countries.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Justice Department brings anit-trust action against AT&T

On November 20, 1974, the Department of Justice filed its final anti-trust suit against AT&T. United States v. AT&T was ultimately settled out of court with an agreement that the corporation would break up its monopoly on phone service throughout the country.

Nuremberg war crimes trials began

On November 20, 1945, the war crimes trials of Nazi World War II leaders began in the German city of Nuremberg. Review the Nuremberg Tribunal's Charter and the verdicts and sentences handed down on major war figures.

Winston Churchill born

On November 20, 1874, Sir Winston Churchill was born in Woodstock, England. He would go on to lead the United Kingdom as Prime Minister through World War II. Toward the end of the war, Churchill worked with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to craft the treaties and accords that have defined the world since WWII. A 2002 poll by the BBC declared Churchill the Greatest Briton of all time.

New Jersey ratifies Bill of Rights

New Jersey ratified the Bill of Rights, a set of 10 fundamental amendments to the US Constitution, on November 20, 1789, becoming the first state to do so. The state also ratified an amendment on federal representation which ultimately failed. Additionally, New Jersey rejected an amendment on congressional salaries, which would eventually become the 27th Amendment more than 200 years later. Read the articles ratified by New Jersey.