Two protesters have been taken into custody after attempting to march toward the Japanese Consulate in the southeastern city of Busan following a rally denouncing Tokyo's release of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, police said Sunday.

After Saturday's rally, participants clashed with the police as they moved toward the Japanese diplomatic mission about 700 meters away at around 8 p.m., and the two were taken to a police station for questioning after going beyond the authorized area for the rally.

They are under investigation on charges of obstruction of official duty, officials said.

Protest rallies have been held in many parts of South Korea since Japan began discharging contaminated water from the crippled nuclear power plant into the ocean Thursday.

On Thursday, 16 university students were apprehended after attempting to barge into the Japanese Embassy in central Seoul. And on Saturday, thousands of people also rallied in central Seoul to protest the water discharge.

Source: Yonhap News Agency