SOUTH KOREA: South Korean activists hit, rip up and burn photos of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un at a rally as North Korea cuts off hotline with South Korea

Record ID: 213918

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: South Korean activists hit, rip up and burn photos of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un at a rally as North Korea cuts off hotline with South Korea
  • Date: 11th March 2013
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (MARCH 11, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS BEATING PHOTOGRAPH OF NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG-UN BRICKS AND LIGHTERS PROTESTERS SLASHING KIM'S PHOTO ON BANNER RIOT POLICE SURROUNDING PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF PROTESTER BURNING PHOTO OF KIM, BUT POLICEMAN EXTINGUISHING IT (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) PROTEST LEADER OH CHEON-DO SAYING: "If North Korea provokes again, like they did with Yeonpyeong Island in the past, during the U.S.-South Korea joint military drills, Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, I want our government not only to attack the origin of the provocations, but to get rid of Kim Jong-il (North Korean leader Kim Jong-un) for the reunification of the Korean peninsula." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING POSTER WITH PHOTO OF KIM, SLOGAN READING IN KOREAN: "CHASE AND GET RID OF KIM JONG-UN IF NORTH KOREA PROVOKES AGAIN AS THEY DID IN THE PAST WITH YEONPYEONG ISLAND." RALLY
  • Embargoed: 26th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Republic of
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAANQ715N7FWWG6R6VGQA95FMK
  • Story Text: South Korean activists on Monday (March 11) destroyed photos of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un at a rally in Seoul as tensions on the peninsular heighten.
    North Korea has cut off a Red Cross hotline with South Korea as it escalated its war of words against Seoul and Washington in response to the military drill in the South and U.N. sanctions imposed following Pyongyang's recent nuclear test.
    South Korean and U.S. troops began their annual joint military drills on Monday amid heightened military tension on the peninsula.
    The two-week drill called 'Key Resolve,' which is a computer simulated exercise, involves 10,000 South Koreans and 3,500 U.S. troops. "Key Resolve" continues until March 21. Another joint drill, "Foal Eagle" is being held from March 1 through to April 30.
    North Korea has accused the United States of using military drills in South Korea as a launch pad for a nuclear war and declared last week it would scrap the armistice with Washington that ended hostilities in the 1950-53 Korean War.
    A small group of conservative activists staged an anti-North Korea rally, striking, tearing and burning photos of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un.

    "If North Korea provokes again, like they did with Yeonpyeong Island in the past, during the U.S.-South Korea joint military drill, Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, I want our government not only to attack the origin of the provocations, but to get rid of Kim Jong-il (North Korean leader Kim Jong-un) for the reunification of the Korean peninsula," said protest leader Oh Chun-do, mistakenly referring to Kim's late predecessor.
    Washington and Seoul regularly hold military exercises which they say are purely defensive. North Korea, which has stepped up its bellicose threats towards the United States and South Korea in recent months, sees them as rehearsals for invasion.
    North Korea formally rejected a U.N. Security Council resolution on Saturday (March 9) demanding an end to its nuclear arms programme as China called for calm, saying sanctions were not the "fundamental" way to resolve tensions.
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