Some hiccups occur in G20 Business Summit

As the world’s most powerful leaders and influential businessmen gather in Seoul, it seems that government organizers went into overdrive with its security preparations.

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia

As the world’s most powerful leaders and influential businessmen gather in Seoul, it seems that government organizers went into overdrive with its security preparations.

In the case of the G20 Business Summit, it seems that not enough importance was placed on the actual substance of the event.

Around 120 business leaders from all over the world gathered at the Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel for the Seoul G20 Business Summit, Thursday. Access to the hotel premises was severely limited, and even journalists were not allowed inside the lobby or to go near the conference halls. X-ray machines and metal detectors could be found at the main entrance and all access points.

Extra tight security meant that journalists had no access to the CEOs or to the event itself. Most of the journalists were confined to the media center, and were expected to cover the event by watching the live streaming video on the official website.

Initially, there was a major problem with the streaming video because it did not provide any translation. Foreign journalists complained of the lack of English translation for President Lee Myung-bak’s opening address. Only participants inside the conference hall were given devices to listen to simultaneous translations.

The problem became even more glaring when several heads of G20 countries gave speeches in their own language at the roundtable sessions. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner gave speeches in Spanish, while Russian President Dmitry Medvedev spoke in Russian. But no Korean or English translations were available.

After receiving multiple complaints from the foreign media, organizers eventually addressed this issue. There was a simultaneous English translation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s speech during the luncheon, as well as all the afternoon sessions. Later, the press conference attended by several CEOs was conducted in mainly in English with Korean translation available.

All style, no substance

Global CEOs were given a chance to test the new Samsung Galaxy Tab, which were placed on the tables for the roundtable discussions. CEOs were shown looking at documents on the tablet, but no word on what the CEOs thought of Samsung’s so-called iPad killer.

Meanwhile, the 196-page-report on the findings of the G20 Business Summit participants was distributed to the media, two days before the actual start of the event. After poring through the document, there isn’t much really ground-breaking about the report, basically full of often heard suggestions on how to revitalize trade, fix the global economy and create green jobs.

Journalists, who were expecting meaty discussions on finance and trade, were disappointed since access was limited to the conveners’ initial statements and speeches by heads of state.

Yet some lighter moments were captured by the cameras. After lunch, all 120 business leaders were ushered on stage for a commemorative photo. Everyone smiled and looked relaxed as they smiled for the cameras, and some even still had the G20 Business Summit IDs around their necks.

And if there was any doubt that business is still an old boy’s club, just glance at the photo and there are only a handful of women CEOs in it.

Even CEOs apparently can get shy around other CEOs. At the start of the Green Growth roundtable, moderator Lord Nicholas Stern of the London School of Economics tried to get comments from the members but an awkward silence greeted him.

``It can’t be excessive modesty that got you in the positions you are in at the moment,’’ Stern said, before finally getting one of the business executives to make a statement.

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma gave a taste of ``football diplomacy,’’ talking at length about his country’s successful hosting of the World Cup last summer and how it affected the G20 Summit in Toronto, which was being held at the same time.

``In Toronto, it was possible to see who was playing with who by looking at which leaders went missing from the rooms. I can't divulge who went missing from the Summit and for how long,’’ Zuma said.

G20 Summit tightens security

The security was extreme at the business summit, but it was even more so at the actual G20 Seoul Summit venue at Coex in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. Hundreds of police lined the streets and subways leading to Coex, making people feel even more nervous by the excessive display of force.

Journalists had to pick up their G20 Summit ID cards at a separate registration center at the KEPCO compound, across the street from Coex. Dozens of police could be found inside the compound.

This reporter experienced directly just how tightly controlled the media access to the Coex was. Staff at the registration center refused to give this reporter G20 Summit Press ID without the presentation of a passport. Despite showing her alien registration card and business summit ID, the staff refused to budge, citing strict regulations.

Hopefully, the staff at the G20 registration center imposed just as strict standards to prevent actual security threats from getting inside Coex and the G20 Media Center, and ensuring the safety of the world leaders.

G20 재계 지도자회의에서 옥의 티

세계의 정상들과 영향력 있는 재계 지도자들이 서울에 모이면서 정부가 지나치게 안전조치 준비에 심열을 기울이고 있다.

G20 비즈니스 서밋의 경우 회담 자체보다는 안전에 더 큰 의미가 부여되는 것처럼 비춰졌다.

서울 G20 비즈니스 서밋을 위해 각국에서 약 120명의 재계 지도자들이 목요일 쉐라톤 워커힐 호텔에 모였다. 호텔 건물 안의 진입이 엄격히 제안되었고 심지어 기자들 조차 로비로 들어가거나 회의장 인근에 가는 것이 불가능 했다. 호텔의 입구와 출입할 수 있는 모든 곳에는 엑스레이와 금속 탐지기가 있었다.

엄격한 경계는 기자들이 CEO들을 접근하거나 서밋에 참여하는 것 자체가 불가능 하다는 것을 의미한다. 대부분의 기자들은 미디어센터에 갇혀 공식 웹사이트로 실시간 보여주는 동영상을 통해 기사를 써야 했다.

우선 문제는 동영상에 자막이 제공되지 않는 것이였다. 외신 기자들은 이명박 대통령의 개회사 때 충분한 영문 번역이 제공되지 않아 당황해 불만을 토로했다. 반면 회의장 내에 있던 사람들에게는 동시 통역 장치가 주어졌다.

문제는 이것으로 끝나지 않았다. 영어권 국가가 아닌 나라에서 온 지도자들이 연설을 할 때에도 한글 또는 영어 번역이 주어지지 않았다.

외국 언론들로부터 불평을 건네 받고서야 주최측은 문제의 심각성을 받아들였고 점심식사 중 진행된 독일 지도자의 연설이 있을 때서야 비로소 동시 통역 장치를 제공받을 수 있었다.