South Korea denies visa request from Dalai Lama

According to reports published on the Times of India and IBN live web sites, the South Korean government has given in to pressure from China, and will not grant His Holiness the Dalai Lama entry into the country to attend a Nobel laureates' conference next month.

Seoul has rejected his application for a visa, reportedly under pressure from China, according to a top official of the Tibetan government in exile.

According to the report on the IBN live site, "South Korea decided to reject the request, considering ''overall relations with China and national interests,'' said a Foreign Ministry official, asking not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. China urges other countries not to host the Dalai Lama, saying he is a separatist bent on gaining independence for Tibet."

Read the entire article on the Times of India web site.
Read the entire article on the IBN live web site.