Cross-National Intelligence Cooperation and Centralized Security Control System (Seoul 1988)

Abstract

The 24th Seoul Summer Olympic Games were a significant mega-event for both South Korea and the international sporting community. South Korea was able to showcase its economic progress following the devastation left by the civil war and, through this event, enter the world of the developed countries. Modern sport, introduced to Korea about a hundred years ago, was now transformed successfully into a global phenomenon through the Olympics (Ok, 2008). The choice of Seoul as the host city, however, highlighted the conflict on the Korean Peninsula, including protests by North Korea to the International Olympic Committee, the fatal bombing of high-ranking South Korean officials in Myanmar in 1983, and the bombing of South Korean Air Flight 858 on route to Seoul in 1987. In this context, the Seoul Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, a number of international intelligence agencies, and the security and surveillance agencies in South Korea collaborated closely to establish a nationwide security and surveillance system. The Seoul Organizing Committee commissioned two South Korean private computer and software-related companies, Sangyong Computer and Hangooksoft, to develop what they named Seoul Olympic Management System. This system built on measures implemented during the domestically hosted international events such as the 1986 Asian Games, as well as on the experiences of other cities that hosted the Games. An integral war room was set up during the Games to jointly resolve matters related to performance and safety1 Various agencies conducted coordinated operations and rounds of comprehensive rehearsals at each venue to strengthen measures against North Korea and international terrorist organizations and to practice dedicated personal security for participants (Kim, 2004).