"No Trump! No China!": Caught in the middle, South Korea hosts rival world powers
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BBC Protesters gathered in Seoul ahead of Trump's arrival on Wednesday
"No Trump!" the rally of hundreds shouted, growing louder as it neared the United States embassy in the centre of South Korea's capital Seoul. A line of police buses stopped them reaching the gates, but a stage and loudspeaker ensured their voices would soar above Gwanghwamun square and within earshot of US President Donald Trump's representatives. This was a small rally by the standards of South Korea's vibrant protest culture. And it was not the only one under way. A few hundred metres to the north, at the gates of Gyeongbokgung palace, marchers held aloft more banners as they chanted a very different message. "No China," along with a smattering of "CCP [Chinese Communist Party] out!". Again, the numbers - several hundred people - were not huge for South Korea. Nevertheless, this footfall through central Seoul on a sunny Saturday is an indication of the diplomatic dance South Korea's President Lee Jae-Myung will have to perform this week as he hosts the leaders of both the US and China. Seoul is - and has long been - a key US ally.
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