Farmers and progressive groups rally in protest against President Trump... ”No Trump! No King!” (South Korea)

Ahead of the US-South Korea summit, farmers and progressive civic groups held a rally to denounce President Trump near the US Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, at around 7 p.m. on the 25th.
They chanted, "Remove the 15% tariff!" "Stop turning it into an outpost against China!" "We reject threats of war and interference in our civil war!" "Condemn Trump's exploitation of our alliance!" "
They held up placards and banners that read, "Stop forcing investment into the US and stealing jobs." In addition to the US imposing a 15% tariff and increasing pressure on investment into the US worth hundreds of billions of dollars,
Kim Jae-ha, co-chair of the civic group Joint Action to Stop Trump's Threat, said, "The United States is putting enormous pressure on us to invest.
"The hollowing out of domestic industries will become a reality, and the youth unemployment problem will become even more serious," he said, adding, "More citizens need to stand up."
Jeong Young-yi, president of the National Federation of Women Farmers' Associations, said that at the US-ROK summit, there were concerns about US investment and inspections that had not surfaced during the tariff negotiations at the end of July.
He commented on ongoing reports that relaxing quarantine procedures is once again on the agenda, saying, "Using food and agriculture as a bargaining chip not only destroys rural areas and farmers, but also means abandoning the lives and health of the people."
Kim Chae-hyeon, a university student affiliated with the Progressive University Network, said, "The US government is urging South Korea to increase its defense spending to 5% of GDP under the pretext of an 'alliance.'
He criticized the US for making unreasonable demands and for pressuring the country to pay more than $10 billion in contributions to the cost of stationing US troops in South Korea. He also called on President Lee Jae-myung to "respond to the unreasonable demands of the US and its security and economic threats."
They called for the United States to show its willingness to negotiate and take an independent stance. Hundreds of people took part in the rally, and after it ended they marched to the U.S. Embassy.