Gyeongju: Police on Tuesday stopped a man from staging a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies near the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit venue, officials said. The unscheduled one-person demonstration took place at an intersection in front of the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center, a day before Trump’s arrival in South Korea to attend this week’s APEC gatherings in Gyeongju.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the man, who prepared a banner critical of Trump’s trade policies, was stopped about five minutes after police responded to the scene and asked him to take down the banner, noting that rallies are banned near the summit venue. The protester had earlier vowed to stage demonstrations throughout the APEC period, stating that the U.S. administration was damaging the global trade order. Trump is set to arrive in South Korea on Wednesday for a two-day trip.