Steve Quayle News Alerts

August 21, 2003

DAEGU, South Korea Police officials stepped up security at the World University Games here on Thursday after a tip that Islamic radicals could attack with chemical weapons.

"We received a tip from a governmental agency that the Universiade games is a possible target for an Islamic terrorist attack. All our security is on high alert," an official from the National Intelligence Service told reporters.

The Environment Ministry said an antiterrorist squad, including a special chemical weapons team, would be in place during the games but that the extra measures were just a precaution.

Air traffic over the games' arenas has been restricted to regular commercial flights until after the games end on Aug. 31.

"We have taken the safety measure to prevent airborne terror like the September 11 attacks in the United States," a government statement said.

The World University Games started Thursday in Daegu, South Korea's third-largest city, with more than 7,000 athletes and officials from 170 nations participating.

The United States and Britain, leaders in the campaign against terrorism since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, have large contingents. Most of the 136 American athletes and 99 British competitors were expected to participate in the opening ceremonies.

"Security was a crucial issue at the 2002 World Cup, as at any international event," said Choo Jon Ho, chief of the games' security division, referring to the soccer World Cup. "But these days we have to pay closer attention to chemical terror threats like with anthrax."

Police have restricted the access of vehicles carrying dangerous materials within five kilometers, or three miles, of the stadiums. Security has been heightened around the North Korean team's accommodation. Earlier this week, North Korea reversed a decision not to send its athletes to the games. Its contingent arrived after President Roh Moo Hyun of South Korea apologized for an incident in Seoul last week in which demonstrators burned North Korea's flag and stomped on a portrait of its leader, Kim Jong Il. Tension between the two Koreas has been high before international talks in Beijing next week on North Korea's nuclear program.(Reuters, AP)

Delegation heads announced

China announced the participants for next week's nuclear talks, saying that Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il would lead Pyongyang's negotiating team, Reuters reported from Beijing.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Kim was relatively junior among the eight North Korean deputy foreign ministers, but had worked closely with China in arranging the six-party talks. His selection could signal Pyongyang's intention to coordinate its stance with Beijing, the news agency said. It noted that Kim, a deputy foreign minister since 2000, has been working on Asian affairs for two years.

China's Foreign Ministry said Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly would represent Washington at the talks starting Wednesday, while Beijing's delegation would be headed by Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi, its chief official dealing with North Korea.

Russia's chief envoy will be Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov; Japan's will be a Foreign Ministry official, Mitoji Yabunaka; and South Korea's will be Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo Hyuck, the ministry said.

The negotiators have all been key players in the diplomatic shuttling aimed at ending the 10-month crisis over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

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