[Newsmaker] US Embassy in Seoul shows support for Black Lives Matter movement

The US Embassy in Seoul hung a banner on its building Saturday in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, which has spread across the US, the embassy said Sunday.

“The US Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change,” the embassy said on social media Saturday. “Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive & just society.”

The large banner was seen on the facade of the embassy in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, Sunday afternoon.

The death of an unarmed African American named George Floyd, 46, at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis last month sparked massive protests, at times violent, around the US. Protesters are calling for justice and equality for African Americans and for police reform.

In a tweet, US Ambassador Harry Harris quoted former US President John F. Kennedy, who once said in a speech, “If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity,” adding that “the USA is a free & diverse nation … from that diversity we gain our strength.”

Harris, a retired US Navy admiral, went on to mention civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. in his tweet: “Recent weeks remind us that MLK’s work remains unfinished. Friends, I believe that work falls on each of us today.”

By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)