Korea voices terrorist concerns

Korea voices terrorist concerns

By Song Jung-a

SEOUL (Reuters): South Korean World Cup organizers voiced their concerns about terrorism on Monday, vowing to work closely with the CIA and other security bodies to ensure safety at next year's tournament.

Following last week's attacks on the United States, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung has expressed support for American plans to thwart international terrorism as his country continues preparations to co-host with Japan the biggest sporting event in the world.

"International terrorists may use the world's biggest festival as an opportunity for committing terror to make demands and achieve their goals," South Korea's tournament organizing committee said in a statement. "We are pushing to adopt the catch phrase "Safe World Cup" for the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup."

Kim and Korea's First Lady bought tickets on Monday as the second round of sales opened for the finals, which are due to kick off in Seoul on May 31.

Organizers said Korean fans bought more than 50,000 tickets from about 390,000 put on sale, with demand especially high for the opening match against world champions France.

A day earlier, South Korea unveiled the fifth of the 10 stadia it is building for the 32-nation tournament.

Aerial defense

Organizers said they would work closely with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Britain's MI5 to ensure the safety of players and spectators in a series of friendly matches over the coming weeks as well as the month-long finals.

The U.S. squad is due in South Korea for a friendly on Dec. 9.

Korean and Japanese organizers are scheduled to meet on Tuesday in Chonju, south of Seoul, to coordinate their planning efforts just one week after hijackers crashed commercial airliners into landmark buildings in New York and Washington.

Both nations are close allies of the United States and tens of thousands of American troops stationed in each have been put on high alert.

Discussions are under way with the South Korean military to strengthen aerial security, including a ban on flights around stadia during World Cup games, organizers said.

Neighboring North Korea is technically at war with the South, and Washington has deemed it a "rogue state" for its past links with state-sponsored terrorism, including the bombing of a South Korean airliner over Myanmar in 1987.

"We're also worried about hooligan violence which has been growing more extreme in Europe," the organizers' statement said. Germany were scheduled to play in Korea in November but the 5-1 defeat by England earlier this month means the Germans are likely to be involved in World Cup playoff matches around that time.

Organizers are expected to look for alternative opponents.