Protests and scuffles greeted the Olympic flame as it began a two-day journey on the divided Korean peninsula today along a route guarded by thousands of riot policeman wielding shields and truncheons.
In the South Korean capital Seoul, thousands of Chinese wrapped in their country's flag greatly outnumbered locals protesting Beijing's human rights record.
The torch relay in South Korea began at a park used for the 1988 Seoul Olympics and followed a 22 kilometre route kept secret until the last minute.
South Korean riot police clash with Chinese students in Seoul
The global torch relay ahead of the Beijing Games in August has prompted protests against China's human rights record in Tibet as well as patriotic rallies by Chinese who criticise the West for vilifying Beijing.
Protests have disrupted the global torch relay and by far the biggest issue has been criticism of China's recent crackdown in Tibet after deadly riots there and in surrounding areas.
China has blamed the Dalai Lama for stirring up the unrest and accused him and his government in exile in India of trying to spoil the Games in August, charges the Tibetan spiritual leader denies.
Several Western countries, including the United States, have urged China to resume talks with aides of the Dalai Lama and on Friday Beijing abruptly announced that it intended to meet his aides in the next few days.
But the government has kept up its attacks on the Dalai.
China today poured scorn on the Tibetan leader and hailed protesters against Tibetan self-rule as patriotic heroes, suggesting the government will not give ground in talks.
"The Dalai clique has always been masters at games with words and the ideas that they have tossed about truly make the head spin," the
People's Daily, the top paper of the ruling Communist Party, said in a commentary.
"Questions of sovereignty are beyond debate and splitting China is sure to fail."
In Seoul protesters used the torch relay as an opportunity to urge Beijing to better protect what rights groups estimate are the hundreds of thousands of North Koreans who have fled to China, escaping poverty at home.
China says the North Koreans are economic refugees. It has been criticised by human rights groups for repatriating them, where they face prison terms under life-threatening conditions in brutal camps.
Protests, though, will not be on the carefully planned agenda at the flame's next stop, the North Korean capital Pyongyang.
Human rights groups say North Korea's authoritarian leaders crush any attempt at dissent. A protest of any sort is certain to lead to at least a long sentence in a political prison, or even execution.