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A group of South Korean activists said Monday it will push ahead with its plan to launch protests in Washington early next month against the South Korean government's plan to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, despite repeated warnings from the Foreign Ministry.

The anti-FTA group, which consists of various labor and farmers' organizations, including the progressive Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Coalition of Farmers' Associations, will start the four-day protest with a candlelight vigil on June 4 in front of the White House, along with local anti-globalization organizations and Korean immigrant groups, it said.

On June 5, the group of some 60-70 protestors will also hold a rally in front of the venue where FTA negotiators from the two countries are scheduled to begin their first round of talks, slated for June 5-9 in Washington.

"We decided to push ahead with the scheduled protest expedition as the government continues to turn a deaf ear while categorizing us as illegal protestors," the group said in a press briefing.

"With the help of local civic organizations and attorneys there, we have already registered for legitimate protests... we will conduct the rally in a peaceful manner," it added.

The group is also scheduled to hold press briefings on June 5 at the National Press Club next to the White House and on June 7 in front of the Congress building. On June 6, they will launch a workshop on the implications of a South Korea-U.S. FTA based on examples from the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Earlier in the month, the government denounced the group's plan, saying it may seriously undermine the relationship between South Korea and the U.S.

The group sent protesters to Hong Kong in December to demonstrate against a meeting of World Trade Organization ministers, and over 1,000 of its members were briefly detained by the Hong Kong police for staging violent street protests. Eleven were put on trial on suspicion of organizing violent clashes with the police.

More than 180 FTAs have been signed between countries worldwide, and over 50 percent of global trade is now conducted between nations relying on such agreements.

Seoul and Washington jointly announced the start of negotiations for an FTA in February, while setting the deadline for the negotiations as June 2007. Seoul, May 22 (Yonhap News)