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PHOTOS Seoul celebrates queer parade, draws protesters

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A pro-LGBTQ activist in drag queen costume holds a poster that supports same-sex romance in Korean military camps during the Seoul Queer Parade at Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu on Saturday, July 14, 2018. The poster says in Korean, "Why is war OK when love is not?" Yonhap

A Seoul Queer Parade participant who claims to support the Rael movement ― a UFO religion that teaches life on Earth was created by an extraterrestrial species ― offers a free hug at Seoul Plaza. Yonhap

Foreigners join the Seoul Queer Parade, which started from Seoul Plaza and passed Euljiro 1-ga, Jonggak, Jongno 2-ga, Myeongdong and returned to Seoul Plaza. Yonhap

Motorcyclists celebrate the Seoul Queer Parade as they leave Seoul Plaza and drive to Jonggak. Yonhap

Scantily clad participants dance inside a stage on a truck surrounded by crowds as they leave Seoul Plaza and head toward Jonggak. Yonhap

U.S. Ambassador in Seoul Harry Harris meets visitors to booths at Seoul Plaza. The U.S. Embassy said on Twitter that Harris visited the booths, prepared for the Seoul Queer Parade, to support the LGBTI community in Korea and promote human rights and tolerance. Capture from Twitter

The U.S. Embassy Seoul hung out a "pride" rainbow flag ― a symbol of the LGBTI minority group ― on July 8. The embassy said on Twitter the same day it was "proud to display the rainbow #Pride colors on the facade of our Embassy in solidarity with human rights and civil society organizations that promote the fundamental rights of #LGBTI persons." Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Protesters against Seoul Queer Parade in hanbok ― traditional Korean clothes ― synchronize chants in percussion-driven rhythms near Seoul Plaza. Yonhap

Protesters against Seoul Queer Parade, who claim to be from a preliminary committee calling for a national referendum, march with a banner that says, "Marriage is a union between a man and a woman." Yonhap

Before the start of the parade, protesters against Seoul Queer Parade at Eujiro 1-ga intersection, where the parade was to pass, lock arms as they resist being taken away by police. Yonhap