South Korea to expand passenger prescreening against terrorism risk

The government and ruling party have reaffirmed their move to strengthen the prescreening process of foreign visitors and restrict the entry of those with suspected terrorism links amid growing public concerns over airport security.

The Justice Ministry and the ruling Saenuri Party said Friday they would introduce a passenger preverification system by 2017 that would allow it to screen flight passengers’ identities before they check in and receive boarding passes in another country. The relevant bill to revise the immigration law remains pending at the National Assembly.

The government has been calling on stronger antiterrorism measures after a string of security breaches at Incheon International Airport, in addition to North Korea’s latest military provocations.

The passenger preverification system has run on a trial basis at a few local airports -- Nagoya Airport in Japan and Pudong International Airport in China -- since February last year.

Of more than 1 million passengers screened during the trial period, the ministry rejected the entry of 358 foreigners, including sex and drug offenders, the authorities said.

The move came after a series of security incidents at Incheon airport last month.

A bomb-like box containing a butane gas canister and a warning message poorly translated into Arabic was found in a men’s restroom on Jan. 29. The suspect turned out to be a 36-year-old unemployed Korean who was frustrated. He was arrested Feb. 3.

Two Chinese and Vietnamese transit passengers were also caught after they separately attempted to illegally enter the country.

Along with toughening the prescreening of passengers, the Justice Ministry said it would upgrade and replace the airport’s surveillance cameras and increase the number of immigration control authorities to tighten the airport’s security.

The ministry and the ruling party also vowed to step up cooperation with the National Intelligence Service and investigators.

According to the ministry, a total of 53 foreigners who were suspected to have joined terrorism-involved groups have been denied entry since October last year.

The opposition parties remain skeptical of the ruling camp’s counterterrorism measures, citing their purported political intention to strengthen the spy agency’s civilian surveillance.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)