Anti-Trump rally in South Korea after US backs from Singapore summit

Updated: 25 May 2018, 03:14 PM IST

Koreans not happy with Trump

South Korea's Seoul city saw an anti-Trump rally being taken out on Friday (May 25) after the US President, Donald Trump, backed off from a crucial summit meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. Trump's abrupt decision to cancel the meet triggered protests with Koreans demanding that the summit should take place, as planned.

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AFP

Trump booed in Seoul

Protesters gathered near the US Embassy in Seoul to vent out their anger over Trump's decision to back off from the Singapore summit that was slated to take place on June 12.

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AFP

Koreans say, "Shut up, Trump!"

Placards reading 'Shut up, Trump!' were seen in Seoul as protesters made a fresh bid to continue along the lines of peace- an ideal route for both the Koreas and the world.

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AFP

"Stick to the plan, hold summit"

The June 12 Singapore meet would have been a first-ever meeting between a serving US president and a North Korean leader but history may not be in the making after all as tensions between the two countries rose over the past few days. The US, on its part, has accused Pyongyang of "reckless" acts and "open hostility" even as negotiations were ongoing to diffuse tensions escalated by North Korea's nuclear arsenal and trials.

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Back to square one

The recent developments have once again thrown the Korean peninsula into a state of uncertainty. Notwithstanding the current situation, North Korea has said it was still willing to talk to the United States. On May 25, Pyongyang declared that it had 'completely' dismantled its nuclear test site, in a carefully choreographed move portrayed as a goodwill gesture.

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Clamour for peace in Korean peninsula

North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons has been a source of tension on the Korean peninsula for decades and activists are raising their voice to put an end to this prolonged hostility. In April 2018, leaders of the two Koreas achieved a new milestone as they jointly declared to make the peninsula nuclear-free in a historic meeting.

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What next?

Trump's letter puts South Korea in a difficult position, given that its ties with its neighbour is at stake and also because it counts itself as a key US ally. In fact, reports say South Korea's Moon Jae-in recently travelled to the White House with the sole purpose of convincing Trump to meet Kim.