Protester tries to set himself alight

A NORTH Korean defector tried to set himself on fire to halt the Olympic torch relay through Seoul, while thousands of police guarded the flame yesterday from protesters against China’s treatment of North Korean refugees.

Hundreds of China supporters, waving the Chinese flag, greeted the torch, throwing rocks at anti-Beijing demonstrators. Police ran alongside the flame and rode horses and bicycles on the relay across the city.

The torch relay has become a lightning rod for anti-Chinese demonstrations. At other stops, protesters have focused on Beijing’s crackdown on anti-government riots in Tibet. But in South Korea, China’s treatment of North Korean defectors has taken centre stage.

The man who tried to immolate himself, Son Jong Hoon, 45, had led an unsuccessful public campaign to save his brother from execution in the North, where he was accused of spying after the two met secretly in China. About an hour into the relay, he poured gasoline on himself and tried to set himself on fire, but police stopped him.

At the start of the relay, a protester rushed toward the Olympic flame and tried to unfurl a banner calling for China to respect the rights of North Korean refugees. Police said five people were arrested.

There were no further attempts to stop the torch on its 4 1/2-hour trip through Seoul to City Hall, where it was met by some 5,000 supporters.