SOUTH KOREA: HUNDREDS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS SCUFFLE WITH RIOT POLICE DURING ANTI-WAR RALLY

Record ID: 862973

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: HUNDREDS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS SCUFFLE WITH RIOT POLICE DURING ANTI-WAR RALLY
  • Date: 4th August 2003
  • Summary: (W3) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (APRIL 11, 2003) (REUTERS) HAS SCUFFLES BETWEEN STUDENTS AND POLICE MV PROTESTERS BURNING U.S. FLAG (7 SHOTS) (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) PROTEST LEADER SAYING "Against imperialists who casually talk about a war, and against all ruling powers who oppress weaker powers and poor people, South Korean college students, in the name of the intellect at our school, took to the street." MV PROTEST SCU SLOGAN ON PROTESTERS MASK READING IN KOREAN "Stop the massacre" SLV PROTEST SLV PROTESTERS MARCHING, INCLUDING PROTESTOR MARCHING CARRYING CROSS ( AS IF CHRIST) (9 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 19th August 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
  • City:
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABILE98MWPMFHZ2AR1E4Z2Z86N
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Hundreds of South Korean college students scuffled with riot police in Seoul during an anti-war rally sparked by the government's decision to send non-combat troops to Iraq.
    About seven hundred South Korean college students scuffled with riot police on Friday (April 11), denouncing the decision by the national assembly to send non-combat troops to Iraq to aid the US-led invasion forces.
    The students were trying to march through the city, but the police blocked them. The students burnt a U.S. flag when they could go no further due to the police block.
    South Korea's parliament voted on Wednesday (April 2) to send non-combat troops to Iraq, handing a political victory to new President Roh Moo-hyun in the face of widespread opposition to the U.S.-led war to oust President Saddam Hussein.
    The protesters were from eight colleges and universities in Seoul who went on a strike to protest over the war.
    "Against imperialists who casually talk about a war, and against all ruling powers who oppress weaker powers and poor people, South Korean college students, in the name of the intellect at the school, took to the street," said a protest leader when he addressed the crowd.
    A student bound himself on a crucifix, symbolising the tragedy caused by a war.
    South Korea is one of the United States' closest allies, but many of Roh's supporters, particularly young voters, are unhappy at the presence of 37,000 U.S. troops in the country.
    The president himself, who took office on February 25, won election pledging a more mature and equal partnership with Washington.
    North Korea underscored that problem on Thursday (April 3) when it said opposition in the South was "righteous and patriotic" because sending troops meant backing U.S. ambitions to invade the North.
    North Korea has 1.1 million men in its armed forces, many of them deployed near the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which has divided the two Koreas since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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