South Korea Deploys 16,000 Police to Contain Bush Beef Protests

Heejin Koo
Bloomberg
Tuesday, Aug 5, 2008

South Korea will deploy 16,000 police to prevent protesters opposed to U.S. beef imports from disrupting a visit later today by President George W. Bush.

AntiMadCow, the group that led two months of candle-lit vigils against South Korean President Lee Myung Bak's decision to resume imports, will demonstrate at the Cheonggyecheon plaza in central Seoul at 7 p.m. today, according to its Web site. The pro-U.S. New Right National Union said it will hold its own rally 400 meters away. Bush is set to arrive in the country at 6:45 p.m. before heading to Thailand and then Beijing for the Olympic Games.

``We will maintain our principle of a strict crackdown on any illegal actions during rallies,'' Police Commissioner Eo Cheong Soo told reporters in Seoul today. ``We will be on full alert to ensure the utmost safety of the visiting head of state.''

Lee's actions angered food and consumer groups concerned about the possible spread of mad cow disease, triggering wider protests against his government and leadership style. Lee's approval rating tumbled by more than half in the first four months of his term, which began Feb. 25.

An additional 7,000 police officers and special forces will guard the hotel where Bush and his wife are staying, the National Police Agency said.

``Rallies in South Korea are a sign of a mature democracy,'' Dennis Wilder, the Asia director for the White House National Security Council, told reporters on Air Force One. ``We have no problem at all with the fact that the South Korean people want to provide their opinion.''

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