LG Factory Also Burned Down... South Africa Deploys Military Troops Amid Riot Spread

Protests Against Former President Juma's Detention... At Least 6 Dead
LG Factory Burned Down, Major City Shopping Malls Looted

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] As large-scale riots that began with protests against the detention of former South African President Jacob Zuma spread, military forces have been deployed to suppress the situation.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Korean companies and expatriates have suffered significant damage, including the LG Electronics factory in the southeastern port city of Durban being set on fire.

According to local media on the 12th (local time), the protests that started four days ago in KwaZulu-Natal, the hometown of former President Zuma, spread to the major city of Johannesburg over the past weekend.

It is reported that six people have died since the protests began.

As the protests continue, damage to the Korean community is also occurring one after another.

On the 12th (local time), rioters are looting electronic products inside the LG factory in Durban, South Africa.
[Photo by Twitter]

The LG factory located in the Durban industrial complex was attacked by armed mobs in the early morning. They looted electronic products inside the factory, and during the process, arson occurred, causing the factory to be completely burned down.

However, the South Korean Embassy in South Africa stated that there were no casualties inside the factory.

The embassy also reported that another Korean company suffered looting damage around 8 a.m. that day.

The embassy is cooperating with local authorities to resolve the incident and urged people to refrain from moving around in the Durban area and to suspend business operations as much as possible that day.

In Durban, the second largest port city of South Africa, on the 12th (local time), protesters opposing the detention of former President Jacob Zuma are looting stores.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Looting and arson continue as the protests proceed. Dozens of stores were looted by mobs, and in Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal, the roof of a large shopping mall was engulfed in flames. In Johannesburg, a large supermarket was looted, prompting a large deployment of police forces.

On the 12th (local time), the roof of a large shopping mall located in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, was engulfed in large flames.
[Photo by Twitter]

Protesters in Johannesburg also disrupted bus and rail services and erected barricades in the city center, leaving tens of thousands of commuters stranded.

On the 12th (local time), a police officer is suppressing protesters in Johannesburg, South Africa. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Looting of supermarkets and other stores has spread to the outskirts of Cape Town, a southwestern resort city, and many businesses such as banks and shops in the affected areas have suspended operations.

COVID-19 vaccination centers in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng have also been temporarily closed.

As the riots spread and major roads were blocked, logistics and trade have been disrupted. Due to road closures, freight trucks cannot move, leaving containers docked at the Port of Durban stranded.

On the 12th (local time), a citizen is walking past a burning store in Johannesburg, South Africa.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

As the protests spiraled out of control, the South African government ordered the deployment of military units.

On the 12th (local time), police officers in Johannesburg, South Africa, are arresting citizens who looted stores.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The South African National Defence Force stated in a press release that day, "We have initiated procedures to deploy troops to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to assist law enforcement agencies such as the police and to suppress the unrest."

President Cyril Ramaphosa [Photo by Reuters]

President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a national address that day, vowed strict punishment for violent protesters, saying, "What we are witnessing now is criminal behavior. There are forces inciting chaos by engaging in looting disguised as protests."

President Ramaphosa also announced that 489 people involved in the riots have been arrested so far and that all government agencies have been mobilized to suppress the unrest. He warned that the spread of riots could cause shortages in food and medicine supplies and negatively impact COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

Former President Jacob Zuma [Photo by Reuters]

Earlier, former President Zuma was detained on charges of failing to appear before a judicial commission investigating corruption allegations during his tenure.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.