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Korean evangelicals determined to take part in what is billed as a "peace festival" in Afghanistan are resorting to illegal methods to enter the volatile country, it emerged Tuesday. "The Afghan government is stopping Koreans at entry points at the airports and overland, but there are plenty of unofficial routes into the country through the neighboring nations,¡± a government official here said, adding Kabul¡¯s efforts to stop them will have little effect. The official warned the illegal crossings could have serious consequences.
Kabul has told Seoul that some 884 Koreans have entered the country by official and unofficial routes as of July 31. Adding those still hell-bent on entering through the porous borders with neighboring countries, government officials here expect that number to rise to some 1,500. Especially worrisome is that some 170 Koreans are known to be staying in the tribal country¡¯s southern Kandahar region, which is especially flammable. Participants are known to be staying in Kabul, Bamiyan, Mazar-e Sharif, Herat and Kandahar and plan to descend on a sports stadium in Kabul on Monday for the peace rally.
¡°Afghanistan has denied clearance to use the stadium citing difficulties in guaranteeing security," a government official said. "The state of law and order in Afghanistan is extremely volatile, and there is a strong possibility of terrorism or some other calamity." But the group responsible for the event, the Institute of Asian Culture and Development (IACD), which is made up of various evangelical groups, says the government is overreacting and has vowed the rally will proceed according to plan. The government is unconvinced and dispatched a five-member task force from the Foreign Ministry and the National Intelligence Service to persuade them to desist and bring them back.
The Foreign Ministry has set up a situation room and called an emergency meeting of concerned agencies for Wednesday. It will issue daily briefings on the situation.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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