5 South Korean protesters arrested near St Regis hotel under Public Order Act

SINGAPORE — Amid the frenzy surrounding the historic Trump-Kim summit, five South Korean protesters were arrested on Monday night (June 11) after they failed to heed multiple warnings from the police to stop their activities, while another group of four was advised on Tuesday not to hold protest activities at Sentosa.

The police told TODAY that they arrested five South Korean women under the Public Order Act along Tanglin Road at about 9.10pm on Monday. The commotion had occurred close to the St Regis Singapore hotel, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his delegation were staying.

On Monday night, TODAY reported that screams were heard around 9pm in front of the Crab in Da Bag food outlet along Nassim Road, which is diagonally across the street from the St Regis.

The women were seen embroiled in a fracas with police officers. They appeared to be resisting arrest and were heard shouting in Korean.

Earlier that day, the quintet were on Sentosa near the Capella Singapore hotel, where talks between Mr Kim and United States President Donald Trump took place on Tuesday.

They had unfurled banners to promote their cause, the police said, without elaborating on what that was. Later in the evening, police officers found them near the Shangri-La Hotel — where the US delegation was staying — with protest placards.

They were warned to leave the special event area, the police said. In preparation for Tuesday's summit, the Government had gazetted from June 10 to 14 areas near the St Regis and Shangri-La hotels, and the entire Sentosa island as special event areas.

But the women failed to heed instructions to leave the area and proceeded to the St Regis hotel instead.

After being stopped again and warned, they refused to co-operate, turned rowdy and began to shout.

"Despite the police's repeated warnings, the group continued shouting and were subsequently arrested," said the police.

"During the arrest, the group struggled and were uncooperative. They were found in possession of protest placards."

Police investigations are continuing.

In a separate incident on Tuesday near the Capella hotel, a group of four South Koreans held up banners asking for the remaining hostages from the Korean War to be freed.

The police told TODAY the two men and two women were seen along Artillery Avenue at about 11am and officers advised them not to carry out protest activities there. "They heeded the police's advice and left the location," a spokesperson said. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHEN LIN