South Korea is concerned about the current situation in Hong Kong and hopes that the city government and the protesters will settle their differences in a peaceful manner, the country's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, as violent confrontations in China's autonomous city continue to intensify
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th November, 2019) South Korea is concerned about the current situation in Hong Kong and hopes that the city government and the protesters will settle their differences in a peaceful manner, the country's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, as violent confrontations in China's autonomous city continue to intensify.Earlier this week, the city witnessed a sharp escalation of months-long protests. On Wednesday alone, 64 people were reported to have been hospitalized after another wave of clashes erupted between protesters and police.
"South Korea and Hong Kong have a close relationship in terms of economic and people-to-people exchanges. We are paying attention to the recent situation in Hong Kong with concern," Kim In-chul, a spokesman for the ministry, said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.
He added that Seoul hoped the crisis in Hong Kong would end peacefully in the near future.
The mass protests began in China's special administrative region in early June as a reaction to a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed people to be extradited to the mainland. The protests eventually escalated into violent confrontations between demonstrators and the police.
In August, the South Korean government urged travelers to be cautious during their visits to the city. Other countries, including Japan, Canada, and the United States, issued similar warnings.
Beijing views the situation in Hong Kong as a result of foreign interference in China's domestic affairs and expresses full support for the local authorities' actions.
