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| August 25, 2003 | Monday | Jumadi-us-Sani 26 |
North Korea threatens games pull-out
TAEGU (South Korea), Aug 24: North Korea threatened to pull out of the world university games and demanded a full apology from South Korea after an anti-North demonstration turned violent on Sunday.
The disturbance came just days before a crucial meeting in Beijing, where diplomats from North and South Korea, the United States, China, Russia and Japan will discuss the North’s nuclear weapons programme.
Fighting erupted at the games in the South Korean city of Taegu after four North Korean journalists confronted a dozen activists protesting human rights abuses in the North outside the main media centre.
“We will have little choice but to reconsider our participation in the games if these kinds of anti-North Korean protests continue,” North Korean delegation chief Jeon Kuk-man told reporters.
More than 100 riot police battled to restore order after North Korean delegates confronted demonstrators waving banners denouncing the North’s leader, Kim Jong-il, and pictures of starving North Korean babies. At least one protester was hurt.—Reuters
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