ANKARA

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok ordered acting police chief Yoo Jae-seong on Friday to take "strong measures" when necessary against anti-China rallies taking place in Seoul, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The orders came after a recent protest held near the Chinese Embassy in the capital’s busy Myeongdong shopping district.

Anti-China rallies in Myeongdong have drawn criticism for being loud and sometimes violent.

President Lee Jae-myung also questioned their legitimacy during a Cabinet meeting last week, saying: “How is that freedom of expression?”

In response, police imposed restrictions barring protesters from entering Myeongdong.

The latest directive also comes just two days after South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, where both sides acknowledged the "important common understandings" reached to elevate the strategic cooperative partnership between South Korea and China since President Lee took office.

The anti-China rallies are driven by conservative political groups often tied to former President Yoon Suk Yeol who allege Chinese interference in South Korea's elections.