November 18, 2009 - Hundreds of South Koreans have staged an anti-war rally outside the US Embassy in Seoul, just ahead of a visit by US President Barack Obama.
The protest follows South Korea's decision to re-deploy its troops to Afghanistan.
The top regional US ally pulled its troops out of Afghanistan in 2007 following a hostage crisis in which two South Koreans were killed.
The demonstrators chanted slogans and held up signs reading "Yes you can end the Afghan war", directed at the US president who is to visit Seoul on Wednesday as part of his Asian trip.
The protestors also said they were disappointed with Obama for not ending the Afghan war.
They added that South Korea should not "fall into the swamp of the US anti-terror war" in the war-torn nation.
No clashes with the police occurred during the demonstrations.
The protests come as Obama moves closer toward a decision to send up to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan to reinforce the 68,000-strong force that will already be fighting there by the end of the year.
The protest follows South Korea's decision to re-deploy its troops to Afghanistan.
The top regional US ally pulled its troops out of Afghanistan in 2007 following a hostage crisis in which two South Koreans were killed.
The demonstrators chanted slogans and held up signs reading "Yes you can end the Afghan war", directed at the US president who is to visit Seoul on Wednesday as part of his Asian trip.
The protestors also said they were disappointed with Obama for not ending the Afghan war.
They added that South Korea should not "fall into the swamp of the US anti-terror war" in the war-torn nation.
No clashes with the police occurred during the demonstrations.
The protests come as Obama moves closer toward a decision to send up to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan to reinforce the 68,000-strong force that will already be fighting there by the end of the year.
