SOUTH KOREA: SOUTH KOREANS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF TROOPS GOING TO IRAQ

Record ID: 215439

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: SOUTH KOREANS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF TROOPS GOING TO IRAQ
  • Date: 15th October 2003
  • Summary: (W4) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (OCTOBER 15, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF RALLY AT SEOUL'S WAR MEMORIAL 0.05 2. SLV PROTESTER CHANTING SLOGANS 0.10 3. VARIOUS ,OF PROTESTERS BURNING NORTH KOREAN FLAG AND ANTI-NORTH SIGNS 0.35 4. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WAVING AND CHANTING SLOGANS (2 SHOTS) 0.45 5. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) PROTEST LEADER
  • Embargoed: 30th October 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
  • Country: South Korea
  • Reuters ID: LVA51TR51VBOX5V0W2UPNVCKOLBX
  • Story Text: Thousands of South Koreans rallied in Seoul to
    support the dispatch of South Korean troops to Iraq.




    More than 10,000 South Koreans rallied in Seoul on
    Wednesday (October 15) to support the dispatch of South
    Korean troops to Iraq, the largest pro-troop demonstration
    so far.

    The right-wing protesters, mostly war veterans,
    gathered at Seoul's War Memorial (which commemorates the
    soldiers who died during the Korean War, including U.S.

    soldiers), waving fists and U.S. flags, and chanting
    pro-troop-dispatching slogans.

    They burned small flags of North Korea, which has been
    against South Korea's move to dispatch combat forces to
    Iraq.

    "Since the U.S. request for dispatching troops, our
    people's opinions have been divided and some groups have
    been protesting against the (possible) troop-dispatch and
    war, so we are holding this rally to show our resolution
    against those protesters," said a protest leader, Cheong
    Il-hoon (pronounced CHUNG IL-HOUN).

    After the rally, they marched through the street to
    Seoul Railway Station. There was no violence.

    Several weeks ago, the United States asked South Korea
    for combat troop support to help stabilise post-war Iraq.

    Since then, many anti-troop demonstrations have occurred in
    South Korea, but the numbers at Wednesday's protest topped
    the previous anti-troop rallies.

    Newly inaugurated South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun
    (pronounced NOH MOO-HYON) is expected to outline Seoul's
    position regarding the dispatch of South Korean troops, to
    U.S. President George W. Bush at a regional summit next
    week.

    South Korea sent several hundred replacement non-combat
    troops to Iraq on Tuesday (October 14) as activists stepped
    up pressure on the government to reject the U.S. request
    for combat soldiers.

    The South Korean non-combat mission raised widespread
    opposition and Roh had to urge parliament to approve the
    decision, saying that close U.S. ties were vital for peace
    on the divided Korean peninsula.

    South Korea has had about 700 medical and engineering
    troops working out of a U.S. base in the Iraqi town of
    Nassariya since May, without incident.


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