South Korea’s police force have staged a mock siege as part of security drill ahead of the Winter Olympics that the country will host next month.
The drill was watched by around 1,600 people, including police officers and game organisers.
The security team want to ensure they will be ready for any possible attacks in Pyeongchang, where the games are taking place.
In the video filmed yesterday at a specially built set, actors wearing hi-vis jackets played the role of attackers, pointing guns at people and taking them hostage ‘at gun point’.
The police SWAT team run around also pointing and shooting rifles at the actors, who late fall to the ground.
A bomb disposal team also came in to deactivate faux explosives used in the exercise.
It come amid huge tensions between North Korea and the US, who will both be competing at the games.
Senior superintendent general and commissioner of Gangwon Provincial Police Agency, Won Kyung-Hwan, said: ‘Leaders from many countries are gathering for the Olympics.
‘Not only are there terrorism threats, but North Korea is also planning to participate in the Games.
‘Also, we should set up measures for traffic jam caused by heavy snow as we are holding the Winter Games.
‘It is true that these factors place a huge burden on the police.’
South Korean police SWAT team demonstrate the anti-terror operation at the starting ceremony before the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games
He added: ‘We promise that we will do our best to thoroughly secure safety through educating and cooperating with related departments for the rest of the days (till the Olympics).’
The 2018 Winter Olympics will take place from February 9 to 25 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, about 50 miles from the border with North Korea.
Despite backlash, it was announced that North Korea would be sending a delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games after officials met for high-level talks for the first time in two years.
South Korea’s government take part in a joint exercise to prepare against possible terror ahead to the Winter Olympics next month
This delegation will include supporters, art performers, observers, a taekwondo demonstration team, journalists and athletes, who intend on marching with South Korea at the opening ceremony as they did in 2006.
The talks between North and South Korea were held in the Demilitarised Zone, otherwise known as the Panmumjom ‘peace village’ and five senior officials from each side attended. This came after Kim Jong-un revealed he was considering sending a North Korean team to the Olympics this year and the talks were scheduled after the US and South Korea agreed to delay their joint military exercises until after Pyeongchang 2018.
The Games will be South Korea’s second Olympics and the Republic’s first Winter Games after hosting the Summer Games in 1988. Pyeongchang will also be the third Asian city to host the Winter Games after Japanese cities Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.
In the video filmed yesterday at a specially built set, actors wearing hi-vis jackets played the role of attackers, police SWAT team run around also pointing and shooting rifles at the actors
A total of 90 teams have qualified at least one athlete to compete in this year’s Winter Olympics, with 89 countries and the delegation from Russia taking part under the IOC flag. Ecuador, Eritrea, Kosovo, Malaysia, and Singapore are also scheduled to make their Winter Olympics debut.
US Vice President Mike Pence said earlier this week he plans to use his attendance at the Winter Olympics to try to counter what he sees as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un´s effort to ‘hijack’ the games with a propaganda campaign.
Pence will be present at the games not just for ceremonial purposes but to try to offset the ‘charade’ he expects the North Koreans to put on when they send a team and also march in the opening ceremony with their South Korean counterparts, according to the official traveling with the vice president and speaking on condition of anonymity.
Donald Trump and top advisers have publicly welcomed the recent talks between the Koreas, but officials have said privately that Pyongyang might be trying to drive a wedge between allies Washington and Seoul.
Tensions between North Korea and the United States have run high over Pyongyan’s efforts to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States.