By Bae Ji-sook
Security is the first word that occurs to people when hosting a meeting of VIPs from 19 major countries and the European Union as well as heads of international organizations such as the United Nations.
Security at the G20 Seoul Summit from Nov. 11 to 12 will be the tightest in Korea’s history, with about 60,000 military, police and special officers watching over convention halls, hotels, roads and bridges 24 hours a day to prevent any possible terrorist attack or conventional mishap.
The police, military, fire fighters as well as the presidential security team has established a special task force to put embassies of member states, 1,468 public facilities, eight major airports, 27 ports, metro stations in Seoul and its vicinity, as well as major hotels and the Coex in southern Seoul under their full control.
Triple guard line
The security team will form a triple guard line ― the red zone will be around the Coex center, where 2.2 meter-walls will be installed.
The second line will be within 600 meters of the building with special fences and the third line will be 2.2 kilometers around Coex.
The 14-lane Yeongdong Boulevard and 12-lane Teheran-ro will be partially blocked and public transportation usage will be recommended to minimize traffic congestion.
Ordinary citizens will be prohibited from access to the Coex, the largest underground shopping mall in Asia that also accommodates the ASEM convention hall where the multilateral talks will take place. Computerized security checks will be conducted on all commuters. Security officers explained the state-of-the-art system will be able to detect possible terrorist suspects who have even had plastic surgery to change their faces.
Teams will be on alert around the clock on land and in the air. Fifty nearby high-rise buildings will be manned by military officers and snipers, who will also be on-call at the Umyeon and Daemo mountains near the venue.
Pedestrians and drivers visiting nearby areas will have to undergo tight security checks.
Security starts from airports
Earlier last month, Kim In-jong, head of the Presidential Security Service and the G20 security team, told reporters that tight security service will be provided from the airport at the time of arrival.
“For instance, from Incheon International Airport, security officers will monitor every move of presidential or delegation motorcades. They will pay extra attention from the mountains and nearby bridges. Officers will guard them till they reach their intended destinations,” he said.
In the case of emergency, firefighters will be waiting around the clock to deploy _ they have also been taught anti-terrorism drills.
Hotels will have restricted of access
Twelve five-star hotels will be accommodating the VIPs. They will have outside access strictly limited. Those with identification tags will be selectively admitted to accommodations.
Delegations of some VIPs have reportedly booked all the rooms of a hotel (in the case of the U.S.), and the respective upper and lower floors for others (most countries).
“Some VIPS have their own chefs with all ingredients flown from their home country for safety purpose. The hotel will be used to provide relaxation,” an industry insider said.
Protest to be prohibited
Any protests or rallies against the summit will be prohibited near the Coex. Organizers said the rights to hold class actions will be guaranteed but any demonstration within 2 kilometers from Coex and hotels where the VIPs are staying will be banned and the participants will be prosecuted regardless of their nationalities.
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