Security tight for Bush visit amid protests

Home > National > Politics

print dictionary print

Security tight for Bush visit amid protests

Security preparations are nearly complete in Seoul for U. S. President George W. Bush's first-ever visit to Korea starting Tuesday. Security officials from Seoul and Washington say they are working together closely to ensure that the U.S. leader's visit is trouble-free. A joint security team of White House and Blue House security staff has been mobilized for the visit, while the U.S. Forces in Korea and the Korean Army have increased the number of security support personnel. Reconnaissance satellites have been keeping an eye out for any unusual movements of troops or weapons in the northern part of the peninsula. Security will reach its peak when Mr. Bush visits Dorasan Station near the Demilitarized Zone on Wednesday.

Mr. Bush will give a 10-minute speech there after signing one of the wooden railroad ties of the Gyeongui railroad. The area around the Dorasan Station is under the jurisdiction of the South Korean Army but both it and the U. S. Army will stand guard during the ceremony.

More than 300 people are expected to accompany President Bush on his visit, including 100 security guards and 160 reporters. The president's party will be dispersed and stay at "very secure places" and several hotels in Seoul during the visit. Secretary of State Colin Powell, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice will be among those accompanying Mr. Bush.

While Seoul is tightening its security for Mr. Bush's visit, several civic groups are also getting ready to greet the U. S. president with messages of their own. More than 600 groups, including the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, signed a petition Feb. 6 demanding that the United States retract its hard-line policy towards North Korea and are continuing to press their points. The groups are planning to hold demonstrations at Incheon Airport on Tuesday and at Seoul's Jongmyo Park on Wednesday. Not only the traditionally anti-American groups but women and religious groups have joined the demonstrations. The overwhelming theme of the demonstrators is anger at the U.S. administration's hard-line policies toward the North, including his "axis of evil" characterization of the Pyeongyang regime.

by Kim Min-seok

Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)