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Police arrest a student who attempted to enter the Japanese Embassy in Seoul during a protest of Japan’s plan to dump contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant on Aug. 24. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

More than a dozen college students belonging to a group opposed to Japan’s discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima were arrested after entering the building that houses the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to deliver a letter of protest following a press conference outside the building on Thursday afternoon.

The students were split up and booked at a number of different stations, including the Jongam Police Station.

A police officer grabs a banner from a college student who attempted to enter the Japanese Embassy in Seoul during a protest of Japan’s plan to dump contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant on Aug. 24. (Yonhap)

Police remove a student who entered the building where the Japanese Embassy is located in Seoul to deliver a letter of protest regarding Japan’s plan to dump contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

Police remove a student who entered the building where the Japanese Embassy is located in Seoul to deliver a letter of protest regarding Japan’s plan to dump contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

Police remove a student who entered the building where the Japanese Embassy is located in Seoul to deliver a letter of protest regarding Japan’s plan to dump contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

At their rally, the students, who belong to other student organizations focused on social and environmental causes including the Peace Nabi Network and Eco Action, chanted and held up signs with slogans including “We condemn President Yoon for selling out public lives for election fears,” “The Korean public opposes the release of contaminated water,” and “You call yourself the Korean president yet you don’t say a negative word about the contaminated water?”

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said that it had arrested 16 students associated with the group on Thursday on trespassing charges.

A collective of students opposed to Japan’s discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima holds a press conference outside the Japanese Embassy in Seoul’s Jongno District on Aug. 24. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

Police put a student they arrested into a police bus. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

By Shin So-young, staff reporter

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