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| Supporters welcoming U.S. President Joe Biden's Seoul visit hang a banner in front of the Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel on Mount Nam in Seoul's Yongsan District, May 20. Yonhap |
By Ko Dong-hwan
Hundreds of people are expected to crowd in front of both the Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel and the presidential office nearby in Seoul's Yongsan District, where U.S. President Joe Biden will be staying during his state visit to the country, alarming the Korean police responsible for maintaining order wherever the two presidents go.
Police have received about 50 different notices for street demonstrations either welcoming or objecting to Biden's Seoul visit. On May 20, various protests have been booked for near the hotel on Mount Nam, where Biden is staying during his three-day visit to Seoul starting Friday. The demonstrators include a group of 40 supporters welcoming Biden's visit, and about 60 protesters from two different groups who object to his presence here.
On May 21, when the Seoul-Washington summit is held at President Yoon Suk-yeol's office, some 1,000 protesters will raise their voices against Biden's Seoul visit near the office as well as at the National Museum of Korea and the War Memorial of Korea, which are in the vicinity of the office. Another 500 demonstrators are expected to gather near Samgakji Station on Seoul Metro lines 4 and 6 near the presidential office on the same day to welcome Biden's visit.
Some 200 protesters from a pro-Korean unification group and another 200 from a different group will hold a press conference and street demonstrations in front of the War Memorial of Korea and the presidential office on Saturday.
The police are on alert as the demonstrators ― largely consisting of those who welcome Biden's Seoul visit and those who don't ― could possibly clash. The police has prepared some 4,200 officers from 70 divisions on Friday and will also assemble some 7,200 officers from 120 divisions on Saturday for keeping security in the areas around the two presidents until Sunday.
The hotel bustled on Friday morning, setting up a temporary parking tent out front to shelter the American guests getting in and out of vehicles, as well as installing security screeners. The police also started cordoning off the area in front of the hotel.
