A coalition of domestic civic organizations focused on energy and environment held a protest rally in downtown Seoul Monday to denounce the United States for refusing to abide by the pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on climate change.

The coalition is composed of some 240 environmental, consumer and women's organizations. They said... the entire international community is blasting the Bush administration for refusing to accept the conditions of the Kyoto Protocol.

The demonstrators demanded that the United States commit itself to the Kyoto Protocol, saying, the U.S. decision to refuse to abide by the protocol is an expression of arrogance grounded in the United States' selfish pursuit of its own corporate interests.

The coalition also said it would stage campaigns against U.S. products with other global NGOs, send protest letters to the U.S. government and send e-mails to the U.S. embassy in Seoul if the United States continues to dishonor the protocol.