HK DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT CONFLICT IN KOREA

[Anchor Lead]

In recent days, placards and posters expressing support for the pro- democracy protests in Hong Kong have been damaged at Korean college campuses. Three such cases occurred at Korea University in just one day, triggering conflict between Korean and Chinese students.

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[Soundbite] (KOREAN STUDENT) : "Please put it up somewhere else! Don't tear it!"

[Soundbite] (CHINESE STUDENT) : "Are you Chinese? I'm asking if you're Chinese!"

Here at the back gate of Korea University on Tuesday, Korean and Chinese students were wrangling over posters expressing support for the Hong Kong protests.

[Soundbite] (KOREAN STUDENT) : "If you don't agree, write up a poster. Why vandalize other people's posters?"

Posters put up by Korea University students were ripped up three times in one day. According to testimonies, some students from China tore them down and threw them away and even posted a photo of their actions on social media.

[Soundbite] HAN SOO-JIN(WORKERS SOLIDARITY) : "A dozen Chinese students came over and tried to attach irrelevant papers over our posters. They mocked and swore at us in Chinese."

Korean students put up more posters for the 4th time, which sparked Chinese students to plaster counter posters next to them. The posters put up by Chinese students denounced the Hong Kong protests as an illegal riot and called for demonstrators to be punished.

[Soundbite] "We support the Hong Kong movement!"

Students in support of the Hong Kong movement held a rally against the poster vandalism. The student body of Korea University has also issued a statement warning of a stern response.

[Soundbite] KIM GA-YOUNG(STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT) : "Many students are enraged by the act of violating free speech in a violent way and how it was repeated 3 times."

Earlier at Yonsei University, placards with writings saying "Free Hong Kong" were also vandalized, prompting speculation that it was perpetrated by Chinese students.