Press Conferences Held in South Korea to Mark the April 25 Appeal

(Minghui.org) The South Korean Falun Dafa Association held press conferences in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul and the Chinese Consulates in Busan, Gwangju, and Jeju on April 24, 2026. They commemorated the 27th anniversary of the April 25 appeal in Beijing and protested Chinese diplomats’ interfering with South Korea’s internal affairs and interfering with Shen Yun performances.

Press conference in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul

Press conference in front of the Chinese General Consulate in Busan

Press conference in front of the Chinese General Consulate in Jeju

Many people stopped and watched as Falun Dafa practitioners did the exercises before the press conference in Seoul.

Practitioners did the exercises together before the press conferences.

Dr. Woo Sili, secretary of the South Korean Falun Dafa Association, presided over the event in Seoul. He said, “Falun Gong is a mind-body practice that originated in China and is based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance … The number of practitioners increased rapidly, until they numbered more than the members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Jiang Zemin, the former head of the CCP, saw this as a threat and launched the persecution in 1999.”

In recalling the April 25 appeal in Beijing in 1999 by more than 10,000 practitioners, he said, “The practitioners requested the release of 45 practitioners who’d been arrested in Tianjin. They also asked to be able to practice the exercises in public and that Falun Dafa books be allowed to be published. It was a peaceful petition.”

Members of the South Korean Falun Dafa Association deliver a statement to the Chinese Embassy.

In the statement read out that day, members of the South Korean Falun Dafa Association described the significance of the April 25 appeal and condemned the CCP for interfering with Shen Yun in South Korea.

The statement pointed out that, before Shen Yun was scheduled to perform in February 2026, an email with threats against the President was received, as was a separate threat directed at a theater in Busan. That threat claimed that explosives had been planted. The police swiftly mobilized, conducted a search, and implemented extensive security measures to ensure the shows went on as scheduled, safely and smoothly.

The statement read, in part, “Similar threats have occurred more than 150 times worldwide over the past two years; however, they have never resulted in actual harm. This clearly constitutes organized interference aimed at suppressing performances.

“South Korea is a sovereign country and its citizens’ right to cultural enjoyment must not be infringed upon by external forces.”

The statement called such interference “transnational repression.”

Dr. Woo said that, according to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomats should not interfere with the internal affairs of the host country. He urged Chinese diplomats to stop interfering with Shen Yun. He called on the South Korean government to conduct a complete investigation of any abuse of diplomatic privileges and to exert pressure on the CCP regime and local agencies to prevent them from interfering with Shen Yun performances.

Press conferences were also held in front of the Chinese consulates in Busan, Gwangju, and Jeju. The police said they were very concerned about the bomb threat that was made to disrupt the Shen Yun performances in Busan.

Many people stopped to watch and listen as the statement was read. Some took out their mobile phones and recorded the event.

The statement concluded, “The international community should uphold freedom of expression and should not yield to any external pressure.”