The Candlelight Movement held its 157th Candlelight March on the 13th at 6:00 PM in front of the Kyobo Building near Gwanghwamun Station in Seoul. The rally was just 100 meters from the U.S. Embassy.
Citing the recent arrest and detention of a Korean worker by U.S. authorities, they raised their voices, saying, "This is no different from taking our people hostage." Participants chanted slogans such as, "We condemn the U.S. hostage-taking" and "Trump, the international thug, get off the planet." They also ripped up a large placard depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and hammered a mannequin.
Kim Ji-seon, co-representative of the candlelight vigil, said, “(This detention of Korean workers) is effectively a declaration of war against our country,” and insisted, “The U.S. ambassador to Korea should be expelled, not just summoned.”
The candlelight vigil marched toward the U.S. Embassy around 7:30 p.m. Some protesters continued the march, banging drums and vuvuzelas. In front of the embassy, they chanted slogans such as, "The ROK-US alliance is a chain alliance," "Let's break the chain alliance," and "The ROK-US relationship is a hostage relationship." Some chanted, "Yankee, go home," and "Get out of the room," confronting police.
Earlier at 3 PM, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a rally near City Hall Station. Participants chanted slogans and held pickets with messages such as, "Guarantee the basic rights of special employment and platform workers" and "Condemn Trump for illegally arresting workers and exploiting the economy."
KCTU Chairman Yang Kyung-soo said, "Behind the scenes of the workers being unjustly detained is the violence of the Trump administration, which has interfered in domestic affairs by imposing tariffs and increasing defense and national defense spending." He added, "The government's attitude of failing to protect its citizens and throwing away their sovereignty must also be criticized."
The Service Workers' Federation and the Korean Metal Workers' Union, affiliated with KCTU, held a preliminary rally in front of the Seoul Employment and Labor Office in Samgakji Station at 1 PM, two hours before the main rally, and then joined the main rally.
Meanwhile, conservative groups also held rallies that day. The National Headquarters for the Movement to Set Korea Straight (Daegukbon), led by Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church, held a "Gwanghwamun National Rally" at 1 p.m. in front of the Dongwha Duty Free Shop near Gwanghwamun Square.
The headquarters cited the arrest of Pastor Son Hyun-bo of Busan World Road Church and argued that "the government is oppressing religion." Participants held picket signs reading, "Stop oppressing churches" and "Lee Jae-myung, dictatorship out."
Photos of protest:
cfgaussian - 3mon
I hope that testimonies like this thread about the detention diary of one of the workers get widely shared in South Korean social media. It is way overdue that they understand that the US is not their friend and not their ally.
And moreover that their own government isn't even prepared to fight for them, instead telling them to sign false confessions of guilt. It is clear that their own government would gladly sell them all out just to stay in the good graces of Washington.
::: spoiler Here is the thread:
1/ A repatriated Korean worker from the Hyundai-LG battery factory secretly wrote a detention diary about their 7-day experience in ICE custody in Georgia. The worker says ICE officers mocked them with words like as "North Korea" and "Rocket Man" despite holding a business visa.
2/ The worker held a B1 visa for a 2-month work meetings and training trip. They were body-searched while wearing hard hat and safety boots at 10am on 4 September. ICE gave arrest warrant forms at 1:20pm with no explanation and no Miranda rights were read.
3/ "The workers thought that completing the forms would lead to release," the worker wrote, which was shared with Yonhap News. Red wristbands were placed on workers after they submitted forms. They secretly messaged his family saying "contact might be cut off".
4/ Workers were handcuffed with cable ties, and some were chained at the waist, legs, and wrists. Transport vehicles had toilets inside with a strong urine odour, and there was no air conditioning provided during the journey to the detention facility.
5/ Workers were initially housed in a 72-person room with bunks, 4 shared toilets and 2 urinals. There were no clocks or outside view. Mattresses had mould on them. The provided water smelled bad. No basic supplies were initially provided to the detainees.
6/ It was so cold that some detainees heated towels in the microwave to warm themselves. The worker secretly obtained a pen and paper on day 4 to begin writing his detention diary. The formal intake process was only completed on day 4.
7/ During their 6 September ICE interview, officers asked if they were from "South Korea". When they confirmed, "the officers smirked and mentioned North Korea and Rocket Man". The worker wrote being angry but restrained themselves.
8/ When they asked why they were arrested despite legal B1 entry, the ICE officer replied: "I don't know either, but the people above think it's illegal." Some ICE officers admitted to other detainees that ICE had made mistakes, according to the diary.
9/ On 7 September, 4 officials from the Korean Consulate General and Foreign Ministry met the detainees. The consulate reportedly told workers: "Getting home first is the most important thing. Sign whatever they ask you to sign unconditionally."
10/ The Korean officials warned that disputes could mean detention for anything from 4 months to several years. They informed detainees that signing would mean forced removal, visa cancellation, and a charter flight home. More ministry officials visited on 8 September.
11/ The worker wrote: "I was angry that they seemed unable to understand why B-1 visa entry was considered illegal" and was frustrated at their focus on "sending us out." Workers were told to sign "voluntary departure" documents filled with language about being "illegal".
12/ Release came on 11 September at 1am when buses departed for Atlanta airport, leaving what Yonhap described as a "hell-like detention facility."
:::
9
小莱卡 - 3mon
What does "rocket man" mean in this context?
4
cfgaussian - 3mon
Probably referring to Trump's stupid nickname for Kim Jong Un from way back in his first term.
3
小莱卡 - 3mon
Yikes, i imagine that should be eye opening for many of these workers. Imagine being groomed all your life to hate the north and worship americans only to be called north korean by americans 😂
4
Commiejones - 3mon
I wonder how much overlap with the "We are charlie kirk" protest there is. Its probably way more than would make sense to politically literate people.
7
rainpizza - 3mon
I don't think there is any overlap. This protest in particular is highly anti yankee to the point that they chanted the following:
“The U.S. ambassador to Korea should be expelled, not just summoned.”
“We condemn the U.S. hostage-taking”
“Trump, the international thug, get off the planet.”
“The ROK-US relationship is a hostage relationship.”
“Yankee, go home,”
In contrast, the Charlie Kirk protest like the one that was posted earlier is fully organized by US bootlickers.
14
Commiejones - 3mon
I understand that it wouldn't make sense for there to be overlap but I get the feeling that there is no political literacy or even coherence in the majority of individuals in the world.
Like with the Nepal "revolution" those people had 0 ideology, 0 plan.
Same with the guy who shot Kirk, The things he wrote on the bullets, they were just memes, anti-fash on one bullet, pro-fash on another.
The recent "March For Australia" was advertised as a march to preserve Australian culture by opposing mass migration but when the speakers started spouting nazi shit half the attendees said "what the fuck get out of here you nazi" and left the march. They all clap like seals when they hear fascist dog whistles but then they get mad when the realize they were listening to a fascist.
It just feels like people know shit is fucked but they have 0 understanding of what the problem is or how to fix is. So they will just grab any placard they can find.
rainpizza in korea
🇰🇷 Thousands join anti-Trump rally in Seoul after Korean workers return home from US detention
https://news.nate.com/view/20250913n10645?mid=n0406The Candlelight Movement held its 157th Candlelight March on the 13th at 6:00 PM in front of the Kyobo Building near Gwanghwamun Station in Seoul. The rally was just 100 meters from the U.S. Embassy.
Citing the recent arrest and detention of a Korean worker by U.S. authorities, they raised their voices, saying, "This is no different from taking our people hostage." Participants chanted slogans such as, "We condemn the U.S. hostage-taking" and "Trump, the international thug, get off the planet." They also ripped up a large placard depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and hammered a mannequin.
Kim Ji-seon, co-representative of the candlelight vigil, said, “(This detention of Korean workers) is effectively a declaration of war against our country,” and insisted, “The U.S. ambassador to Korea should be expelled, not just summoned.”
The candlelight vigil marched toward the U.S. Embassy around 7:30 p.m. Some protesters continued the march, banging drums and vuvuzelas. In front of the embassy, they chanted slogans such as, "The ROK-US alliance is a chain alliance," "Let's break the chain alliance," and "The ROK-US relationship is a hostage relationship." Some chanted, "Yankee, go home," and "Get out of the room," confronting police.
Earlier at 3 PM, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a rally near City Hall Station. Participants chanted slogans and held pickets with messages such as, "Guarantee the basic rights of special employment and platform workers" and "Condemn Trump for illegally arresting workers and exploiting the economy."
KCTU Chairman Yang Kyung-soo said, "Behind the scenes of the workers being unjustly detained is the violence of the Trump administration, which has interfered in domestic affairs by imposing tariffs and increasing defense and national defense spending." He added, "The government's attitude of failing to protect its citizens and throwing away their sovereignty must also be criticized."
The Service Workers' Federation and the Korean Metal Workers' Union, affiliated with KCTU, held a preliminary rally in front of the Seoul Employment and Labor Office in Samgakji Station at 1 PM, two hours before the main rally, and then joined the main rally.
Meanwhile, conservative groups also held rallies that day. The National Headquarters for the Movement to Set Korea Straight (Daegukbon), led by Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church, held a "Gwanghwamun National Rally" at 1 p.m. in front of the Dongwha Duty Free Shop near Gwanghwamun Square.
The headquarters cited the arrest of Pastor Son Hyun-bo of Busan World Road Church and argued that "the government is oppressing religion." Participants held picket signs reading, "Stop oppressing churches" and "Lee Jae-myung, dictatorship out."
Photos of protest:
I hope that testimonies like this thread about the detention diary of one of the workers get widely shared in South Korean social media. It is way overdue that they understand that the US is not their friend and not their ally.
And moreover that their own government isn't even prepared to fight for them, instead telling them to sign false confessions of guilt. It is clear that their own government would gladly sell them all out just to stay in the good graces of Washington.
::: spoiler Here is the thread:
:::
What does "rocket man" mean in this context?
Probably referring to Trump's stupid nickname for Kim Jong Un from way back in his first term.
Yikes, i imagine that should be eye opening for many of these workers. Imagine being groomed all your life to hate the north and worship americans only to be called north korean by americans 😂
I wonder how much overlap with the "We are charlie kirk" protest there is. Its probably way more than would make sense to politically literate people.
I don't think there is any overlap. This protest in particular is highly anti yankee to the point that they chanted the following:
In contrast, the Charlie Kirk protest like the one that was posted earlier is fully organized by US bootlickers.
I understand that it wouldn't make sense for there to be overlap but I get the feeling that there is no political literacy or even coherence in the majority of individuals in the world.
Like with the Nepal "revolution" those people had 0 ideology, 0 plan.
Same with the guy who shot Kirk, The things he wrote on the bullets, they were just memes, anti-fash on one bullet, pro-fash on another.
The recent "March For Australia" was advertised as a march to preserve Australian culture by opposing mass migration but when the speakers started spouting nazi shit half the attendees said "what the fuck get out of here you nazi" and left the march. They all clap like seals when they hear fascist dog whistles but then they get mad when the realize they were listening to a fascist.
It just feels like people know shit is fucked but they have 0 understanding of what the problem is or how to fix is. So they will just grab any placard they can find.