Seoul bans rally

SEOUL: South Korean police on Saturday banned an anti-government demonstration planned in Seoul next week, citing concerns the protest could turn violent, a spokesman said.
But activists vowed to push ahead with the rally next Saturday outside City Hall.
Police acted under a law allowing them to ban street protests if there is a risk of them turning violent, the spokesman for the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency told AFP.
Police warned leaders of activist groups who defy the ban would be arrested, as would participants who refused to disperse.
Critics say the conservative government of President Park Geun-Hye, a daughter of the late heavy-handed ruler Park Chung-Hee, is slipping back into past authoritarian rule.