S Korea detains six for illegally entering Japan consulate

SEOUL, July 22 (AP): Police on Monday detained six South Koreans for allegedly illegally entering a Japanese diplomatic facility in South Korea and staging an anti-Tokyo demonstration there.

The incident came amid growing anti-Japanese sentiments in South Korea as the two countries are locked in trade and political disputes. On Friday, a 78-year-old South Korean man died after setting himself on fire near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.

The six men and women were given temporary passes to enter the Japanese Consulate in the southeastern city of Busan earlier Monday after they told staff there they would visit a library inside the building, according to Busan police officers.

They initially stayed at the library. But they later abruptly dashed out to a consulate yard, holding a placard that read "Abe must apologize," referring to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.