US President Barack Obama and other world leaders converged in the South Korean capital to even out global economic imbalances [EPA]
Published On 12 Nov 201012 Nov 2010
But union workers and civic groups have already begun one of the largest rallies in the run-up to the Thursday-Friday meeting [AFP]
Advertisement
The protesters are opposed to a long-delayed free-trade deal between the US and South Korea, which Obama and his South Korean counterpart Lee Myung-bak, plan to finalise before the summit [AFP]
The demonstrators also want the South Korean government to improve labour rights [AFP]
The South Korean government is concerned about the risk of violent anti-capitalist protests - a common feature of summits involving the world(***)s leading economies - and also worried that North Korea may try to stage an incident to embarrass it [EPA]
Clashes however have broken out, despite attempt by the authorities to tighten security in preparation for the arrival of 10,000 participants, including 32 heads of government and leaders of international organisations [EPA]
The head of South Korea’s largest trade union has said there are no guarantees of further clashes between protesters and police during the G20 summit [EPA]
Advertisement
Kim Young-hoon, president of the powerful Korean Confederation of Trade Unons, whose 600,000 members dominate motor vehicle plants, shipyards, and the government-owned national rail system, said that "excessive police force" will result in violence [AFP]
