Civic Groups Hold Protest in Front of U.S. Embassy over Korean Detention Incident

Civic groups held a protest rally in response to the arrest of a Korean national at the Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint battery plant construction site in Georgia, United States.

Members of Candlelight Action, the Korean University Students Progressive Union, the National Sovereignty Party, and other related parties are holding a rally on the 8th in front of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in Jongno-gu, Seoul, condemning Trump for arresting and detaining our citizens and urging their release. Photo by Yonhap News

Candlelight Action, the Korean University Students Progressive Union, the National Sovereignty Party, and others held a "Rally Condemning Trump for Arresting and Detaining Our Citizens and Urging Their Release" in front of the U.S. Embassy in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, at around 7 p.m. on the 8th. They demanded the immediate release of the detained Korean national and an official apology from the U.S. government.

They stated, "Our workers are building a factory on American soil because the United States forced us to, yet they are being called illegal immigrants. The United States, which does not pay a single cent for the Pyeongtaek U.S. military base or the U.S. Embassy, is the very definition of illegality. It is time to show the power of the sovereign people of Korea."

According to unofficial police estimates, about 70 participants chanted slogans such as "We condemn Trump for arresting and detaining Korean citizens" and "How can you use chains? We condemn the United States."

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the Alliance for Independent Reunification and Peace, the National People's Action, and the Joint Action to Stop Trump's Threats have also announced a rally criticizing President Donald Trump in front of the U.S. Embassy at 10 a.m. on the 9th.