Seo Jeong-gap, a retired chairman of the army, navy and air force colonels league, collided with the demonstrators while on his way to meet Cho for lunch. A scuffle ensued, and Seo reportedly emerged with injuries that will take three weeks to heal completely.

According to police reports, at 12:15 p.m. Seo was rushed and then surrounded by about 50 demonstrators on the road next to the Koreana Hotel, including the actor Myeong Gye-nam, and then grabbed by the collar. Seo said later that he felt threatened when the protesters were coming at him and cursing, so he fired a blank shot into the air with his gas pistol.

"Someone forced the gas pistol out of my hand and my suit was torn and I sprained a finger on my right hand," he said.

A member of the civic group, Shim Hwa-seop, said, "We saw Cho Gap-je passing and approached him to talk, but in the process, there was a little scuffle involving some pushing and shoving."

A police officer from the Namdaemun Police Department who was on the scene said, "I saw Chairman Seo being grabbed by the collar by the members of the People's Power, and it will certainly be reported as an act of violence."

Prior to the skirmish, the demonstrators were gathered in front of the front door of the Chosun Ilbo on Gwanghwamun Street as early as 10 a.m., shouting, "Close down the Chosun Ilbo!" and "Drop dead, Shin Gyeong-mu!"

People's Party regularly argues that the Chosun Ilbo manipulates economic and social anxiety and splits public opinion.

The cartoon that riled up the civic group dealt with President's Roh's recent statements in which he criticized prosecutors, and depicted Roh as a drunk at a nighttime food stall. People's Power said that it was profane to portray the president chomping on a cigarette and kicking a liquor bottle. "This defiles the people," they said.

The demonstrators also had it out for Cho because they took issue with a passage he wrote on his personal website last week: "The people have the right to exercise resistance against a treasonous, autocratic government as a last resort in protecting the nation, constitution and freedom. This includes the military."

The activists in People's Power said that the passage was an "outspoken instigation of a military coup."

The Korean Political Cartoonists' Association was critical of the pro-Roh protesters, saying Sunday, "We impeach the outrage of the members of the People's Power, whose main forces are from Nosamo, for holding demonstrations opposing a political cartoon that satirized the president. In the process, they violated the rights of an innocent civilian en masse."

The statement continued: "Their acts derive from a lack of understanding of the satire of political cartoons, and threaten the diversity of the press and freedom of speech. Their acts are that of totalitarianism and we are deeply suspicious as to whether there is anyone working behind the scenes. The authorities must punish those responsible for this incident to prevent further outrages that threaten the freedom of press, ideas and conscience." (Choi Seung-hyun, vaidale@chosun.com )