S.Korea police chief to resign over deaths at rally

SEOUL, Thursday (Reuters) - The head of South Korea's National Police Agency offered to resign on Thursday in order to take responsibility for the deaths of two farmers who clashed with police during a violent protest, a police spokesman said National Police Commissioner Huh Joon-young, seen as a possible candidate for mayor of Seoul, had apologised earlier this week for the incident that took place at a rally in Seoul in protest at a measure to open markets wider to imported rice.

Huh said he thought the deaths of the farmers were accidental, the official said.

President Roh Moo-hyun has not said if he would accept the resignation, but political analysts said he would probably allow the police chief to step down.

Use of excessive force by police led directly to the farmers' deaths, according to South Korea's Human Rights Commission, which recommended criminal investigations and reprimands of the officers involved.

Thousands of farmers and activists clashed with police on Nov. 15 in front of parliament, demanding the withdrawal of a bill to gradually increase rice imports.