South Korea moves to quell anti-China protests amid efforts to reset ties

South Korea’s prime minister has ordered a clampdown on anti-China demonstrations outside the Chinese embassy, amid warnings that such protests could derail Seoul’s efforts to reset ties with Beijing.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Friday directed law enforcement to “take strong action” against the increasingly disruptive rallies, which had led to merchants and residents complaining of noise, abuse and declining tourist traffic.

Kim told police to “closely monitor the protests, and do everything possible to maintain public safety and order so that merchants, residents, and Chinese nationals in the affected areas do not experience growing inconvenience or anxiety in their daily lives”.

The rallies in Myeongdong, a major shopping district in central Seoul that hosts the Chinese embassy, have often been noisy and sometimes become violent.

For more than three months, hundreds of “hate China” demonstrators have been rallying and marching through Myeongdong, an area popular among tourists, including those from China.

Waving banners, the protesters frequently chanted slogans such as “China out” and hurled abuses, prompting scared Chinese tourists to flee from the site.

Police questioned some participants after tearing down banners bearing images of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Dai Bing, the Chinese ambassador to South Korea.