Protests in Seoul forward of Trump and Kim's summit

By Siobhan Robbins South East Asia Correspondent

They're being told it's a new chance for peace, but not everyone in Seoul is excited about Tuesday's summit.

In the city centre, protesters gathered to show their displeasure with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Huge banners were hung from walls claiming Mr Moon is being tricked by Kim Jong Un, who they say will never give up his nuclear weapons.

Image: Some in Seoul claim President Moon Jae-in is colluding with North Korea

I asked one of the demonstrators, Yoon Yong, if the summit could be the start of peace.

He said: "No, it'll never happen, no."

I asked: "Why not?"

"Well Kim Jong Un is a cheat, hiding, lying - 100%," he explained. "They are really bad guys. They are killers. They've done a lot of massacres, invaded us... so many bad things."

Image: Sky's Siobhan Robbins with protesters in Seoul

Others go further and claim Mr Moon is colluding with North Korea to help the regime take over the South.

A middle-aged man walked around with a huge papier-mâché model of Moon Jae-in's head with the word "spy" scrawled across it.

There is no evidence to support his claim, but the anger in the crowd demonstrates the challenge facing those who want to bring peace.

People living here have only know the disappointment of almost 70 years of broken promises. They've heard the Kim family's pledges that it will stop its nuclear development before, only for missiles and rockets to be tested again.

Image: People living here have only know the disappointment of almost 70 years of broken promises

Of course many hope that Donald Trump can make a difference when he meets Kim Jong Un. People openly discuss the possibility of a declaration that will finally end the Korean War, while massive government posters declare that Seoul City supports peace.

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But even the optimists are cautious.

They so badly want the threat from the North to be removed and for peace to break out on the peninsular that the disappointment of another failed meeting would be truly devastating.

Original Article

World

September 21, 2018