Progressive, conservative groups hold rallies in Seoul over U.S., Korean gov't actions
Published: 14 Sep. 2025, 16:09
Updated: 14 Sep. 2025, 17:44
![Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions chant during a rally in front of City Hall Station in central Seoul on Sept. 13. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/14/deb3219f-4028-4c6a-8f5e-a74c56c0b478.jpg)
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions chant during a rally in front of City Hall Station in central Seoul on Sept. 13. [NEWS1]
Progressive and conservative groups held separate rallies in central Seoul on Saturday, each amplifying criticism of the United States and the Korean government.
Candlelight Action, a progressive civic group, staged its 157th “candlelight march” near Gwanghwamun Station in central Seoul at 6 p.m. and condemned what organizers described as the mass detention of Korean workers in the United States.
Marchers moved through Gwanghwamun Square, Anguk and the area around Jonggak Station chanting, “Condemn the United States for arresting and detaining our people,” “Expel acting U.S. Ambassador Joseph Yun now” and “Yankee go home.” In front of the U.S. Embassy, some also shouted, “[Donald] Trump must apologize.”
“The United States is instead threatening Korea and claiming we broke the law,” said Kim Ji-seon, a co-chair of Seoul Candlelight Action. “Summoning the ambassador falls short. We should expel him.”
![A rally from Candlelight Action (translated) takes place in central Seoul on Sept. 13. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/14/d4657c47-d168-46c7-b6a3-7e1655d6db19.jpg)
A rally from Candlelight Action (translated) takes place in central Seoul on Sept. 13. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Earlier at 3 p.m. on Saturday, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a rally near City Hall Station in central Seoul.
“Workers were unjustly detained because the Trump administration violated our sovereignty through tariff pressure and demands to raise defense cost sharing,” KCTU chief Yang Kyung-soo said. “The Korean government also bears responsibility for failing to protect its citizens.”
Participants held placards reading “Guarantee fundamental labor rights” and “Protect platform workers’ rights.”
The protests came after U.S. authorities raided a plant owned by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Georgia on Sept. 4, detaining about 475 workers, mostly Koreans, for visa violations.
Conservative groups also rallied on Saturday. At 1 p.m., a group led by pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon gathered in front of Dongwha Duty Free near Gwanghwamun Square, insisting the Korean government is cracking down on religion.
Participants held signs that read “Stop persecuting churches” and “Down with Lee Jae Myung’s dictatorship.”
One of the raids took place at Yeouido Full Gospel Church in western Seoul in July, as part of an investigation into the death of Marine Corporal Chae, seizing documents and digital files to probe allegations that senior pastor Lee Young-hoon was linked to lobbying efforts involving former Marine Corps 1st Divison Commander Lim Seong-geun.
Marine Corporal Chae drowned during a search-and-rescue operation in July 2023 after reportedly being ordered into a dangerous river without proper safety gear. The case drew national outrage, with critics accusing the military of negligence and a cover-up. Prosecutors later expanded their probe to examine whether senior officials tried to shield commanders from accountability, which led them to investigate possible lobbying ties linked to Yeouido Full Gospel Church.
The raid at Yeouido Full Gospel Church sparked immediate backlash from conservative Christian groups, who argued that the country was infringing on freedom of religion by treating churches like political organizations.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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