South Korea will Monday host one of its biggest-ever diplomatic gatherings, overshadowed by the growing security threat from North Korea. Seoul planned the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit to promote its "New Asia Initiative" to strengthen its ties with the continent.
But North Korea's relations with its neighbour and the world have worsened dramatically in recent months. Last week it tested its second nuclear bomb, renounced the truce in force on the Korean peninsula and threatened attacks on the South.
Seoul has heightened vigilance for the June 1-2 meetings with leaders of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations on the southern resort island of Jeju. "During the summit meetings, our military will escalate its alert and mobilise additional intelligence assets," Lieutenant General Jang Kwang-Il of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said last week.
Military analysts say any North Korean action would likely be staged well away from Jeju, but timed to coincide with the summit to cause maximum embarrassment.
Security was tight, with a surface-to-air missile unit set up next to the convention centre, checkpoints on major roads and explosives-sniffing dogs.
Yonhap news agency said 5,000 police officers are patrolling the island and operating high-tech chemical detectors. Patrol boats and destroyers were stationed near the venue. "We are maintaining watertight security to cope with all possible contingencies," a senior summit organiser told AFP, declining to link the measures to any potential North Korean threat.
Seoul says North Korea will be a topic at the summit, called to mark the 20th anniversary of relations between South Korea and ASEAN. Leaders will also debate the global financial crisis, climate change and regional cooperation in trade, economic matters, security and culture.