Security for G-20 Summit in Seoul Will be Unprecedented

[Joanne98]

Source: VOA

South Korea plans an unprecedented peace-time mobilization of soldiers and police to minimize any trouble when it plays host to the leaders of the world's top 20 economies next month. South Korea's military, coast guard and police said they are preparing for all imaginable disruptions during next month's G-20 Summit in Seoul.

Those include large demonstrations, riots, terror and cyber-attacks, and attempts by rival North Korea to spoil the meeting.

The commissioner general of the South Korean National Police Agency, Cho Hyun-Oh, noted Monday that some previous G-20 and other major international summits have been plagued with violence. Combining that with the aggressive reputation of South Korean demonstrators, he said, means authorities must be prepared for the worst during next month's event.

Cho predicts that protests during the G-20 Seoul Summit, though, will not be very violent, and his forces will be able to prevent the situation from getting out of hand. He is mobilizing 50,000 police officers - more than one-third of the national force - to provide security in Seoul during the summit November 11th and 12th.



Read more: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Security-for-G-20-Summit-in-Seoul-Will-be-Unprecedented-105174329.html

[arikara]

1. These bozos don't need a meeting every couple of months

Its just an excuse to spend massive amounts money on their "security" for some stupid photo ops. If they were really concerned with doing their job they would have teleconferences.

[nyy1998]

2. Can't those North Koreans try not to party crash everytime the South does everything?

It's hard enough to take care of 20 leaders(have you seen the Russian President's hotel needs?) and now the South Koreans have to worry about Kim Jong-Il trying to hit up the Argentinan President?

:sarcasm:

[Javaman]

3. nothing but showy bullshit.

this day in age, they could all get together by telepresence, yet they go out of their way spend billions of dollars on meetings we know nothing about, never ever get the truth or the real story and make deals that effect all of us without a wit of information other then the propaganda that is fed to the media.

these g-20 meetings are useless displays of wanton vanity.

[Bragi]

4. We (Canada) spend 1.2 billion on G-20 security last summer

But it was worth it because Bushite Stephen Harper got the two photo ops he was looking for: 1) pics of him chairing the meeting, and 2. pics of a police riot he put in motion with the taxpayer's $1.2 billion.

[babydollhead]

6. Pittsburgh's g20 was WHORRIBLE for the city!

[Crowman1979]

5. Can't they use web conferencing for this International pissing contest?

[Bragi]

7. No, web conferencing won't do it

I have no objection to international meetings with real people sitting in real rooms talking to each other. I've attended a few of these myself, and I think real interpersonal contact inside and outside these meetings is actually a good thing.

What I don't understand is why they can't hold these events in secure low-cost venues, like on aircraft carriers maybe. Or maybe they could identify a single isolated and easily secured place where these meetings can happen, and do all such meetings at that permanent location.

I think the idea of holding them in populated areas, and changing these areas for every meeting, is the problem.

[Crowman1979]

8. Or better yet, actual government buildings.

Camp David, the white house, the UN building or some other places where a security apparatus is already set up.

[Bragi]

9. Agreed

Moving these things around made sense when these meetings were seen to be a potential boost for the host country. They have become ridiculously expensive annoyances instead. A permanent location for G-7, G-20 and other high-security summits would make a lot of sense.

[Crowman1979]

10. Ridiculously expensive annoyances?

The Olympics, FIFA world cup and some other extended international events can be thrown in the mix as well. And I don't care what people on DU say about the Super Bowl, at least it begins and ends in one day.