BEIJING (AP) — Beijing's escalating condemnation of South Korea over a U.S. anti-missile system has triggered protests against a popular retail giant and a reported suspension of Chinese tours to the country.
Protesters have targeted hypermarket operator Lotte Mart, whose parent company, Lotte Group, agreed Monday to provide a golf course to South Korea's government to site the anti-missile system.
China says the system threatens its security because its radars are capable of peering deep into the country's north to monitor flights and missile launches. South Korea says it is needed to defend against North Korea's missile threat.
South Korea's state-run tourism agency said Friday that travel agents in China said they had been told to stop selling trips to South Korea. China National Tourism Administration did not immediately respond to faxed questions.