SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

GV Demonstrators charging police cordon

SV & GV Police and demonstrators fighting (3 shots)

SV & GV Police firing gas and demonstrators dispersing

SV Injured demonstrator helped away by comrades

SV Demonstrators having hands bandaged after fingers cut off (4 shots)

SV ZOOM IN Counting fingers on newspaper (3 shots)
Background: Fifteen anti-Japanese demonstrators cut off their little fingers, wrapped them in a Korean flag and tried to present them to the Japanese Embassy during a demonstration in the South Korean capital of Seoul, on Monday (9 September).

Riot police used tear gas to prevent them breaking though barricades surrounding the Embassy. They were part of a group of about 50 people who had approached the Embassy and were later taken to hospital.

Earlier in the afternoon police had used tear gas to break up an attempt by hundreds of demonstrators to march on the Embassy. The demonstrations are part of the continuing anti-Japanese riots which have swept through South Korea following the discovery that the man who killed the wife of President Park was a Korean with a Japanese passport.

The act of cutting off fingers is a well known gesture among extreme Japanese and Korean loyalists, nationalists and gangsters and indicates an expression of loyalty and solidarity against a common enemy.

Most of the men who took par tin the demonstration were from Chonan city 50 miles (80 kilometres) south of Seoul. They wore headbands saying "anti-communism and anti-Japan" and they told reporters they would burn and destroy Japanese businesses in Korea.

Anti-Japanese feeling and demonstrations have continued since Monday, with reports on Wednesday (11 September) that for the first time the anti-Japanese violence turned against private Japanese businesses. About 500 war veterans stormed through Seoul and stoned the offices of Japan Airlines and the Tokyo Bank.

SYNOPSIS: Anti-Japanese demonstrations have become wide read in South Korea after it was learned that the man who made an unsuccessful assassination attempt on President Park held a Japanese passport. The President's wife was killed in the attempt.

One such demonstration was on Monday and the protesters were attempting to reach the Japanese Embassy, but were dispersed by police.

The police used tear gas to help drive the crowd away. But, soon after, the demonstration took a bizarre turn. About fifty demonstrators with headbands reading "anti-communism and anti-Japan" approached the Embassy.

Fifteen of their number then took knives and chopped off their little fingers, wrapped them in a Korean flag and attempted to present them to the Embassy.

The men were unsuccessful and were later taken to hospital. The act of cutting off fingers is a well known gesture among Korean and Japanese loyalists, nationalists and gangsters to express solidarity.

The men told reporters that Japanese private businesses would be the next target in the anti-Japanese campaign.

NOTE TO EDITORS: THE FINAL SEQUENCE OF THIS FILM CONTAINS SCENES WHICH MAY BE OFFENSIVE. THEY HAVE BEEN PLACED AT END OF FILM FOR EASY REMOVAL, IF NECESSARY.