The editorial said that police at a hearing probing the act of cracking down upon peasant Paek Nam Gi with water cannon during an all-people action last year acted just like a thief crying "Stop thief!" only to spark off resentment.

Lawmakers from the "Saenuri Party" were keen on hyping the "violent nature" and "illegality" of the above-said all-out action, it charged.

Aiming water cannon at the head of the peasant was a violence perpetrated by the authorities, it held.