South Korea: Protests in Seoul Nov. 4 ahead of Trump visit

Event

Over 200 organizations and associations have called for protests to be held on Saturday, November 4, in Seoul, ahead of US President Donald Trump's November 7-8 visit. According to organizers, the demonstrations have been called to protest increasing tensions with North Korea as well as bellicose statements from Trump. Details concerning the time and location of the protests have yet to be announced. Increased security and localized transportation delays are to be anticipated in concerned areas.

Context

The protests come after several weeks of increasingly bellicose statements from North Korean officials and Trump, who addressed the UN General Assembly on September 19, asserting that he would "totally destroy North Korea" if it threatened the US or its allies. Previous statements by Trump, joint US-South Korean military exercises, and sanctions issued by the UN Security Council have led to the North Korean regime carrying out missile test launches (e.g. September 15) and nuclear tests (e.g. September 3).

Advice

As a precautionary measure, individuals present in Seoul are advised to avoid all demonstrations; although the weekend's events are expected to remain peaceful, violence may flare up without warning.