Conservative civic groups held a massive rally Saturday against North Korea's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, with some members burning North Korea's flag and photos of the North's leader Kim Jong-un.
Supporters of former President Park Geun-hye repeated their claim that the liberal Moon Jae-in government and the North are turning the Feb. 9-25 Winter Games into the "Pyongyang Olympics."
About 4,000 people gathered for the rally in front of Seoul's central railroad station, picketing with signs that read "The Pyongyang Olympics, Out!" and holding photos of Kim with a red X mark on his face.
Conservative groups held a similar rally last month when Hyon Song-wol, the head of North Korea's all-female Moranbong Band, visited the South to check venues for an art troupe's planned performances in Seoul and Gangneung, a sub-host city of the games.
"We will burn Kim Jong-un's photos and the North's national flag on Feb. 11 when Hyun shows up at the National Theater of Korea for the concert," Rep. Cho Won-jin, head of the far-right Korean Patriots' Party, said during the protest.
The two Koreas have engaged in a flurry of sports diplomacy since the North's leader expressed his willingness to send a delegation to the games in his New Year's speech.