Presidential Security Service holds safety committee meeting ahead of Korea-Central Asia summit

The Presidential Security Service convened a Presidential Security Safety Committee meeting at its headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Friday ahead of the first Korea-Central Asia Summit, scheduled for Seoul in September.

The meeting brought together members from the Presidential Security Service and 15 affiliated agencies to conduct a comprehensive review of national-level security and safety measures for the summit.

The Presidential Security Safety Committee is established under the Act on the Protection of the President and Others. Its members include the National Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the Korea Customs Service, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the Korean National Police Agency, the Korea Coast Guard, the National Fire Agency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Capital Defense Command, the Defense Counterintelligence Command and the Defense Security Support Group.

The meeting covered three main agenda items: a national-level analysis of the security environment, venue-specific security and safety measures, and strengthening coordination among participating agencies.

The Security Safety Control Group, which oversees all security and safety operations, presented its overall security plan for the summit. Participating agencies then briefed attendees on domestic and international terrorism trends and countermeasures, security arrangements for the Greater Seoul area and specific locations, and sector-by-sector preparations covering public safety and traffic management, before reviewing key tasks going forward.

The summit will be the first heads-of-state meeting since the Korea-Central Asia consultative body was elevated to the summit level, with leaders and delegations from five countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — taking part. The Presidential Security Service said it plans to focus on minimizing disruption to residents, given that the event will be held in the heart of Seoul, one of the country's most congested urban areas.

The agency also said it will emphasize a "low-profile yet efficient" security approach — one that showcases the beauty of Seoul to visiting heads of state while supporting the successful hosting of the international event.

Presidential Security Safety Committee Chairman Hwang In-kwon called the summit "an important multilateral international meeting that will demonstrate the Republic of Korea's diplomatic standing and the capabilities of Korean-style security." He urged participants to "complete a multidimensional and comprehensive security plan by strengthening inter-agency task sharing, command, coordination and information-sharing systems to support the successful hosting of the summit."