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Bush to face S Korea protesters Bush to face S Korea protesters
(about 7 hours later)
US President George W Bush is en route to South Korea where he is expected to get a less than wholehearted welcome. Thousands of troops are on the streets of the South Korean capital, Seoul, ahead of a two-day visit by US President George W Bush.
Thousands of protesters plan to voice their anger over the agreement with the US to restart imports of beef. The US leader will hold talks with President Lee Myung-bak, before flying to Beijing for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Mr Bush is going to Beijing for the opening of the Olympic Games, and will stop off in South Korea to discuss the military alliance with the US. At least 20,000 security personnel have deployed to handle protesters angry about a controversial beef import deal.
Talks will also focus on a planned free trade agreement and North Korea's nuclear weapons' programme. Plans for a visit in July were shelved amid street protests over the issue.
But Mr Bush will also be given a taste of the public anger over the recent agreement to resume imports of American beef. South Korea has agreed to resume imports of US beef after a five-year suspension. But the protesters say the agreement does not protect them adequately against mad cow disease, or BSE.
The deal sparked months of street protests because of fears that US cattle may be infected with mad cow disease. Protests planned
The first shipments began arriving last week, but the demonstration organisers say that a large crowd will leave President Bush in no doubt about what they think of his government's reassurances that US beef is safe. As well as the beef deal, the US president is expected to discuss a number of issues in his meeting on Wednesday with Mr Lee.
In his summit meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, though, it is the situation north of the border that will feature prominently. A planned bilateral free trade agreement and progress in multilateral efforts to disarm North Korea are also expected to feature prominently in talks.
The US is planning to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism as a reward for stopping production of weapons grade plutonium. The two leaders last met in April, when they agreed the unpopular beef deal.
But the communist state must first agree to allow international nuclear inspectors in, and there are intense efforts underway to try to secure agreement on how those inspections would work. Protests over the issue had tapered off, but organisers say they expect at least 10,000 people to attend a rally tonight in Seoul.
Other groups plan to demonstrate against the free trade deal and the deployment of South Korean troops in Iraq, while pro-US groups also plan to turn out.
From South Korea Mr Bush goes to the Thai capital, Bangkok, where he is expected to address the issue of Burma.
Then he is due to fly to Beijing in time for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on 8 August.