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| A civic group protests against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision to remove South Korea from its "whitelist" in front of the Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Friday. / Yonhap |
By Kim Jae-heun
Public sentiment against Japan began hitting fever pitch after Tokyo removed Korea from its whitelist of preferred trading partners, Friday.
Following the announcement of the removal, civic groups took to the streets to protest what they called an "economic invasion," and encourage citizens to strengthen the ongoing campaign to boycott Japanese products.
An association of 682 civic groups gathered in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to denounce the Shinzo Abe administration's decision, saying it ran counter to the free trade regime the Japanese prime minister claimed to support.
"This is an economic invasion that seeks to hurt vital areas of our country's economy," said Park Seok-woon, president of the Korea Alliance for Progressive Movements.
The civic groups plan to hold a candlelit protest in front of the embassy today.
Ordinary citizens also vented their angers against the Japanese government.
"I cannot understand Abe's decision. Koreans did nothing wrong and only asked for compensation for those who were forced to labor for Japanese companies during World War II," said a 31 year-old office worker surnamed Cho.
"If Abe keeps making absurd decisions to damage the Korean economy, I will seek to make him pay by conducting my own tougher anti-Japan campaign."
The Gangnam-gu Office has removed Japanese flags that flew alongside the flags of other nations in the district to protest the "economic attack."
Fourteen flags which had been hung in three streets of Teheran-ro, Yeongdongdaero and Rodeo were removed.
The district office has been flying the flags of all nations since July to build a global image for the district.
"Japan's removal of Korea from its whitelist is a declaration of economic aggression that goes against the global commercial order and is an act that removes Tokyo from global society," a Gangnam-gu Office official said. "We will not fly the Japanese flags until they withdraw the decision to show our displeasure."
The union of Seoul Metro attached stickers to the doors of subway trains stating, "We don't buy, we don't go. No economic retaliation," beginning Thursday.
The union said the stickers were messages from Seoul Metro workers to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe because of his move "to obstruct peace on the Korean peninsula."
It did not get permission to attach the stickers from the public firm but said it will "persuade" the company's executives if they ask it to remove the marks.
Residents in Ulsan renamed a street "No Abe," and hung over 200 banners protesting the Japanese action.
Many of them put their names on the banners and wrote messages to the Japanese Cabinet. Retailers there have sworn not to sell Japanese products.
"I have been thinking about ways to protest the Japanese government and came up with the idea of hanging banners in the street. I advertised my campaign on social media and many friends asked me to make banners and hang them for them," said Woo Young-ja, a civic group member who began the street campaign.
