With five days left before the opening ceremonies of the World Cup, the government placed the police and armed forces on a World Cup Security Special Alert, Sunday. During the special alert the police and military will perform defense measures on land, sea and air, in the main facilities of the 10 cities hosting matches including stadiums, airports, harbors and main government buildings, as well as hotels housing important personnel and players.

The emergency alert will involve 40,000 police, 13,000 firefighters, and military and governmental officials; and an emergency squad has been assigned to each of the 10 stadiums to prepare contingencies for terrorism and safety problems. The government has also established an emergency system for 32 World Cup update rooms in the Blue House, Ministry of National Defense, 10 cities, and the Prime Minister’s Office.

A high-level official said security was the decisive factor in making a successful World Cup and the government will mobilize all forces to strongly deal with this.

(Kim Min-bai baibai@chosun.com )