Qatari Royal Guards Trained in Seoul
By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
Royal guards of Qatar are staying at Cheong Wa Dae to benchmark the presidential security skills of South Korea.
As of June 25, the presidential office has been offering its security personnel to a 22-member Qatari royal guard group.
When President Roh Moo-hyun visited the Middle East country last March, the royal guards expressed their willingness to study Cheong Wa Dae guards’ upgraded security system, presidential aides said.
They are learning martial arts, such as taekwondo, judo and Oriental fencing, and observing on-the-spot security actions by Korean presidential guards.
All of the 22 royal guards are composed of best-performing soldiers, who were directly interviewed by Qatar’s king for selection, according to the aides.
A trainee said the most impressive education was the skill of eliminating possible risks including gunmen without agitating normal spectators. Mentioning taekwondo, he said the martial arts of Qatar are not systematic compared with those of Korea.
According to Cheong Wa Dae officials, Korean guards put priority on both martial arts and use of guns while Qatari guards mostly focus on gunshot skills.
The three-week training program is the longest of its kind in Korea, though guards from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Cambodia had participated in similar training in Seoul. The presidential security office said it feels pride.
The 22 guards will return home on July 16 after being trained in anti-terrorism skills, the officials said.