A South Korean man set himself on fire in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Friday, police said, amid rising trade disputes between Seoul and Tokyo.
The man in his 70s ignited a fire inside his car parked in front of the building where the Japanese Embassy is located, Seoul police said in a statement.
Police said the man survived and was taken to a hospital but was unable to communicate. South Korean media reported the man, surnamed Kim, is unconscious.
Fire extinguishers are placed near a building where the Japanese embassy is located in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, July 19, 2019. South Korean police say a man has set himself on fire in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul amid rising trade disputes between Seoul and Tokyo. (AP PhotoAhn Young-joon)
The motive for his action wasn't immediately known. Police said suspected flammable materials were found in the man's car. They said they are examining the car and surveillance cameras and interviewing building officials.
The man's self-immolation comes as ties between Seoul and Tokyo have plunged to their lowest point in decades since Japan recently tightened export controls of some high-tech materials.
South Korea and Japan, both key U.S. allies, have been often embroiled in history and territory disputes stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
In this Thursday, July 18, 2019, photo, a protester tries to tear a paper showing an image of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a rally denouncing the Japanese government's decision on their exports to South Korea in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea. South Korean police on Friday, July 19, say a man has set himself on fire in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul amid rising trade disputes between Seoul and Tokyo. The signs read "Abe's government." (AP PhotoAhn Young-joon)
South Korean officials have said the Japanese trade curbs were retaliation for local court rulings that ordered Japanese firms to provide financial compensation to former Korean forced laborers. Japan denies that.
For decades, largely peaceful anti-Japan protests have occurred near the Japanese Embassy. Protests sometimes turned violent, with demonstrators cutting their own fingers or scuffling with police officers.
In 2017, a South Korean Buddhist monk died after setting himself ablaze in protest of Seoul's 2015 agreement with Tokyo to settle an impasse over Korean women forced into sex slavery for Japanese soldiers during the colonial occupation.
South Korean police officers patrol against possible rallies against Japan in front of a building where the Japanese embassy is located in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, July 19, 2019. South Korean police say a man has set himself on fire in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul amid rising trade disputes between Seoul and Tokyo. (AP PhotoAhn Young-joon)
DETROIT (AP) — The Oakland Athletics no longer have to wonder where they'll play the next few seasons. That won't make the long goodbye any easier.
The A's reacted to the announcement that this will be their last year in Oakland with a mixture of sadness and relief.
“At least as a player, you know where you’re headed,” outfielder Seth Brown said Friday before a game against the Tigers in Detroit. “There’s obviously a lot of moving parts, a lot of stuff we’re not privy to, so it’s just been kind of a waiting game on our end. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to be? So I think just having that knowledge -- at least we know where we’re going to be playing next year.”
Vivek Ranadivé, who owns the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher announced Thursday that the A’s will temporarily relocate to West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park for at least three seasons. The A's are moving to Las Vegas after a new ballpark is constructed.
The River Cats, who are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, will continue to play at the same facility.
Fisher was unable to reach an agreement with Oakland city officials on extending the lease at Oakland Coliseum, which expires at the end of this season. The A's have played in the city since 1968.
“There's direction now, which we've talked a lot about,” Oakland A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “We've got time to kind of reflect on what this really means from an organizational standpoint, the history that we've had in Oakland, with this being now the final season. There's a lot of emotion that goes behind this.”
It will not only cause some upheaval for the players and staff but also members of the organization that work behind the scenes.
“At the end of the day, we know where we're going to be for the next three seasons after the finish this year and that in itself gives a little bit of stability,” Kotsay said. “At the same time, in the present, it's challenging in certain ways to think about the finality of this organization in Oakland.”
Sacramento will be a much smaller environment to house a major league team. Ranadivé said the River Cats venue currently seats 16,000 when counting the stands, the lawn behind center field and standing room only.
First baseman Ryan Noda is concerned with the facilities. He's hopeful that significant upgrades will be made, much like the Toronto Blue Jays did at Buffalo's Triple-A facility. The Blue Jays played at Buffalo's Sahlen Field in 2020 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“New walls, new dugouts, new locker rooms — everything they needed to become a big league stadium,” said Noda, who played some games in Sacramento as a minor leaguer. “As long as we can do something like that, then it'll be all right. But it's definitely going to be different than playing in stadiums that hold 40,000 people.”
Kotsay is confident the upgrades will occur.
“I know it will be of major league baseball quality,” he said. “It's has to be of major league baseball quality. I know the Players Association will make sure that takes place, as they did in Buffalo.”
For the rest of this season, the A's will have to deal with small home crowds and disappointed fans.
“We’re sad for the fans, the diehard fans, who always come to our games, always support us, always support the boys wearing the jersey,” Noda said.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, center, shakes hands John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics, before the start of a news conference where Fisher announced his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4 2024.The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, announces that his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple A team Sacramento River Cats, is shown in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The Oakland Athletics announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay walks to the dugout after making a pitching change during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
