Korean man detained in Hong Kong over anti-gov't protest

Protesters light fires as they gather in the Causeway Bay MTR station in Hong Kong, Sunday. Riot police fired tear gas at protesters on Hong Kong island, the second consecutive night of unrest in a territory battered by weeks of anti-government rallies. AFP

Riot police officers are engulfed in tear gas during an anti-extradition bill protest in Hong Kong, Sunday. Hong Kong is in the midst of its ninth consecutive weekend of multiple anti-extradition demonstrations. EPA

By Jung Min-ho

A Korean man has been detained in Hong Kong for allegedly participating in a protest against a controversial extradition bill.

According to the Korean Consulate General in Hong Kong Sunday, the man, 26, is being investigated for allegedly participating in a massive protest against the bill in Hong Kong at the shopping district of Mong Kok.

The man, whose identity is being withheld, reportedly works at a local restaurant.

“Hong Kong police are looking into whether he was actively participating in the protest,” an embassy official said. “We urged them to conduct a fair investigation.”

In the ninth consecutive weekend of political unrest, protesters swarmed the streets of Hong Kong Sunday night and clashed with police, who fired tear gas to disperse them.

The bill would allow the extradition of criminal suspects to mainland China. The city's leader, Carrie Lam, later shelved the bill, but refused to discard it.