SOUTH KOREA: Protesters rally against Pyongyang's third nuclear test as South Korea's nuclear envoy urges the countries involved in diplomatic talks to work on dealing with the unpredictable state

Record ID: 213875

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: Protesters rally against Pyongyang's third nuclear test as South Korea's nuclear envoy urges the countries involved in diplomatic talks to work on dealing with the unpredictable state
  • Date: 13th February 2013
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FEBRUARY 13, 2013) (REUTERS) **CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** ANTI-NORTH KOREA PROTESTERS PREPARING EFFIGY OF NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG-UN VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS BURNING EFFIGY AND PICTURES OF KIM JONG-UN, NORTH KOREAN FLAGS AND ROCKET REPLICA POLICE EXTINGUISHING FIRE BURNT ROCKET REPLICA (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) ANTI-NORTH KOREA PROTESTER CHOO SEON-HEE SAYING: "The South Korean government and international society must punish North Korea strongly. A tough punishment is the only way to break the North." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS BASHING ROCKET REPLICA COVERED IN PICTURES OF KIM JONG-UN AND RADIATION SIGN WITH HAMMERS VARIOUS OF PROTESTER SLASHING PLACARD COVERED IN PICTURES OF KIM JONG-UN AND HIS WIFE, NORTH KOREAN FLAGS AND RADIATION SIGN VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING ANTI-NORTH KOREA SLOGANS ANTI-NUCLEAR PROTEST BY ENVIRONMENTALISTS PROTESTERS CHANTING SLOGANS PROTESTER WEARING GAS MASK WHILE CHANTING MORE OF PROTESTERS CHANTING VARIOUS OF PROTESTER WEARING GAS MASK PLACARD WITH MAP OF NORTH KOREA AND RADIATION SIGN ON IT (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) CAMPAIGNER OF KOREAN FEDERATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT, SHIN JAE-EUN, SAYING: "North Korea conducted its third nuclear test yesterday. The nuclear test is likely a crisis to people's lives in the region and would cause a serious eco-disaster. Therefore, we're strongly condemning it." PROTEST IN PROGRESS FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TRADE AND UNIFICATION COMMITTEE SESSION IN PROGRESS AT SOUTH KOREAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LAWMAKERS SITTING SOUTH KOREAN UNIFICATION MINISTER YU WOO-IK (RIGHT) SITTING YU BOWING (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN UNIFICATION MINISTER YU WOO-IK SAYING: "We see North Korea made threats and conducted the test intending to demand an arms reduction and a peace treaty from the United States and to press our government to change our policies on North Korea." LAWMAKERS GATHERED SESSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN CHIEF NUCLEAR ENVOY LIM SUNG-NAM SAYING: "I think we should make various efforts and pressures to come up with a more developed position regarding the North's nuclear problem while maintaining the frame (of the six-party talks)." MORE OF LAWMAKERS MORE OF SESSION IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 28th February 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Republic of
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAU3608Q8FXS0H6006AJTK1O1N
  • Story Text: South Korea's conservative activists rallied against North Korea on Wednesday (February 13) after Pyongyang's third nuclear test a day earlier.
    About 150 protesters gathered in downtown Seoul for the rally, burning North Korean national flags and photos of Kim Jong-un, young leader of the communist state.

    "The South Korean government and international society must punish North Korea strongly. A tough punishment is the only way to break the North," said Choo Seon-hee, who was leading the protest.
    A small group of environmentalists also condemned the North.

    "North Korea conducted its third nuclear test yesterday. The nuclear test is likely a crisis to people's lives in the region and would cause a serious eco-disaster. Therefore, we're strongly condemning it," said Shin Jae-eun, a campaigner from the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement.
    Pyongyang said on Tuesday (February 12) that the test was an act of self-defence against "U.S. hostility" and threatened stronger steps if necessary.
    North Korea's third nuclear test, in defiance of a U.N. resolution, drew condemnation from around the world, including China, its only major ally.
    South Korean Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik and chief nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam attended a parliamentary session on Wednesday (February 13).

    "We see North Korea made threats and conducted the test intending to demand an arms reduction and a peace treaty from the United States and to press our government to change our policies on North Korea," he said.
    He called on diplomatic partners to work on talks with the unpredictable state.

    "I think we should make various efforts and pressures to come up with a more developed position regarding the North's nuclear problem while maintaining the frame (of the six-party talks)," said Lim.
    South Korea is still technically at war with North Korea after a 1950-53 civil war ended in a mere truce.
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