SEOUL, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- People with a record of hooliganism at soccer matches will be grouped with international terror suspects on an official blacklist of people barred from entering South Korea for the World Cup tournament this summer, a senior government official said Wednesday.
With the kickoff to the 2002 FIFA World Cup three months away, the South Korean government has decided to deny entry to some 6,400 soccer hooligans and 3,226 terror suspects, Justice Minister Song Jeong-ho said. South Korea is co-hosting the World Cup with Japan from May 31-June 30.
The Justice Ministry will compile the blacklist by April and it will comprise names of known soccer hooligans and international terror suspects, Song said in a ministry report to President Kim Dae-jung. South Korea is working with international authorities to prevent terror suspects and hooligans from entering the country, he said.
Safety concerns have intensified at all major sporting events following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States and the subsequent U.S.-led air strikes on Afghanistan. The recent Winter Olympics in the United States were one of the most security-intensive events ever staged.
South Korean police vowed to make the World Cup the safest in soccer history.
"The World Cup finals are less than 100 days away, but we are already in action to guard against any possible terrorist attacks and violent acts," said Choi Hyun-chol, the head of World Cup security at the National Police Agency. "We will deal firmly with anyone who acts in a violent. Hooliganism will not be tolerated."
Squads of highly trained and heavily armed police, as well as specialist security teams, will patrol 10 World Cup stadiums throughout the monthlong tournament, police said. South Korea has also decided to impose no-fly zones around the stadiums.
Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co. has been selling policies against hooligan violence during the World Cup for restaurants and hotels that fear hooligan violence. More than 1,000 clients bought the insurance, the company said.
In Tokyo, Sepp Blatter, president of the world football governing body FIFA, expressed confidence about security during the tournament, dismissing criticism about lax security at the recent Asian Club Championship in South Korea.
"We can't instruct the governments how to do it, but I have no doubt they will make the competitions safe," Blatter said.
