Pyongyang, October 8 (KCNA) -- Farmers and fishermen from across south Korea, over 20 000 in all, met in Youido, Seoul on Oct. 6 to protest against the conclusion of the shackling south Korea-U.S. "Free Trade Agreement."

Speakers accused the present "government" and the "Grand National Party" of working hard to railroad the motion calling for the ratification of the proposal on FTA through the "National Assembly."

The conclusion of the FTA is little different from giving up agriculture, fishery and stockbreeding, they said, adding:

It threatens the lives of the peasants and fishermen.

They can never allow the shackling FTA to be concluded as it serves the U.S. interests only, they contended.

They would punish without fail the assemblymen who consent or side with the NA passage of the motion, they warned.

They urged the authorities to stop at once the moves to conclude the agreement and open a hearing to disclose the inside story of the negotiations that had been held so far.

Noting that there is no other way but to struggle, they called on all of them to pool their efforts to check the conclusion of the FTA.

At the end of the meeting its participants held a demonstration march.

They went to the place where representatives of the organizations under the Agro-stock Emergency Committee for Measures against the Conclusion of South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement were staging a sit-in from Sept. 28 to encourage them.