Protesters in South Korea lashed out at Donald Trump on Wednesday as the U.S. president arrived in the country.
Trump is in South Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit as part of his six-day tour of East Asia.
Groups of demonstrators gathered in Gyeongju to protest the president’s appearance, including one who dressed in Trump’s signature dark suit and red tie along with a large cardboard cutout of his face.
The protest themes ranged from demands for “No Kings”—echoing the anti-Trump demonstrations in the U.S. earlier this month—to opposition to the sweeping tariffs Trump has threatened to impose on South Korea.
Videos posted on social media show police manhandling student protesters after they breached a barricade outside the Gyeongju National Museum, the venue for the APEC summit where Trump delivered a typically unhinged and rambling speech.
Civic groups and left-wing political parties could be heard chanting “No Kings: Trump Not Welcome” and “No to APEC.”
“APEC claims to aim for economic growth and prosperity, but in reality, leaders are busy currying favor with Trump and showcasing their diplomatic skills just to secure lower tariffs,” Kwon Young-kook, head of the minor opposition Justice Party, told The Korea Times.
“How can an organization talk about growth when it cannot even check the great powers undermining the international order?”
South Korea appeared eager to flatter Trump in hopes of securing a more favorable trade deal. During a fawning ceremony, Trump was presented with a golden crown and the Grand Order of Mugunghwa medal, the country’s highest honor.
The same day, Trump told reporters that the U.S. and South Korea had “pretty much” come to an agreement regarding the reciprocal tariffs each country imposed on the other after he met with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
The White House has not confirmed any details on the deal, but South Korea’s presidential aide, Kim Yong-beom, said both countries will reduce their 25 percent tariffs to 15 percent, according to the BBC.
There had been a sticking point over Trump’s demand that South Korea invest $350 billion in the U.S. as part of any trade deal.
Tensions between the two longtime allies intensified earlier this year after hundreds of South Koreans were detained in an immigration raid in the U.S. in September as part of Trump’s hardline mass deportation plans.
Trump is also expected to take part in pivotal talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, as the trade war between the two economic powerhouses reignites.
The post Massive Trump Face Pops Up at Protest Slamming His South Korea Visit appeared first on The Daily Beast.
