Seoul: A group of university students on Thursday staged a protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, condemning a recent trade agreement with Washington. The 15 students, identified as members of Korean University Students Progressive Union, labeled the deal "unfair" and demanded its immediate nullification. They confronted police for about 40 minutes as they attempted to deliver a "protest letter" to the embassy, before dispersing without physical altercations. Police issued warnings, declaring the gathering "unregistered" and therefore illegal.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the protest followed the announcement of the finalization of an agreement between Seoul and Washington on Wednesday, which includes a US$350 billion investment pledge from South Korea. In return, the United States will lower tariffs on Korean autos from 25 percent to 15 percent. The students also voiced anger over the recent detention of South Korean workers in the U.S. "Trump should apologize for arresting our people illegally," one protestor demanded, referring to an immigration raid at a Korean battery factory in Georgia in September that led to the detention of over 310 South Korean workers.
Separately, another progressive group criticized the agreement as "completely yielding to the demands of the U.S. President Donald Trump." The group also raised concerns about a separate agreement for South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine with U.S. approval. Critics argue the submarine primarily serves U.S. interests for "ocean surveillance" and "for putting pressure on China." "The unequal deal is null and void, and it must be withdrawn immediately," the progressive group said.