Labor union, farmers' association stage large-scale rally in downtown Seoul

South Korea's largest umbrella labor union and the farmers' association held a massive rally in central Seoul on Wednesday against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, causing traffic congestion, officials said.

An estimated 6,000 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the general association of national farmers, simply known as Junnong, staged a joint rally in downtown Seoul, lashing out at the Yoon government for causing economic hardships for farmers and the people amid high inflation and a fall in rice prices.

Police dispatched 113 officer units to rally sites, and cordoned off part of roads near Seoul City Hall, causing traffic congestion during the evening rush hour.

But no physical clashes between protesters and police officers have been reported.

When the KCTU held an anti-government rally earlier this month, some participants clashed with police who tried to control the crowd, and the opposition side has demanded an apology by police chief Cho Ji-ho and the punishment of those responsible for the incident.

The KCTU vowed to hold a third rally against the government on Dec. 7. (Yonhap)