hankyoreh

Tensions are rising in South Korea Friday ahead of Sunday's arrival of the troubled Olympic torch amid fears over a possible clash between Chinese residents and human rights activists preparing welcoming and protesting events, respectively.

The torch, lit just over a month ago in Greece, has faced a raft of protests around the world as activists demanded China stop its harsh crackdown on pro-independence demonstrators in Tibet.

The torch relay in Seoul, which comes less than 100 days ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August, is expected to take on a new dimension as conservative civic groups here are vowing to use it to criticize North Korea.

North Korea has long been accused by international groups of crushing the rights of its impoverished people, running gulags for political dissidents and meting out harsh penalties to those who try to flee or refuse to conform.

It is also the next leg for the torch after the one-day relay in Seoul.

"We're going to try to stop the relay at all costs," said Han Chang-kwon, who represents a group of North Korean defectors in South Korea.

Arguing China is intensifying its crackdown on North Korean refugees on its soil ahead of the Games while simultaneously touting itself as a magnanimous host of the world event, Han said the relay is a "rare chance" to publicize the cause.

"We have prepared several units of defectors who will desperately try to stop the progress of the relay when it crosses one of the main bridges" which link the southern and northern parts of the South Korean capital, Han said. "Some of us even pledged to burn ourselves in protest."

Beijing is Pyongyang's main political benefactor and is accused of repatriating North Korean defectors despite concerns that they could face harsh punishment, including execution.

China also has a number of its people residing in South Korea.

Tens of thousands of Chinese are studying here, with many of them planning to take to the streets to welcome the torch, said Liu Yen, an official of the Chinese Resident's Association Seoul Korea.

"We'll hold welcoming placards high and wave our national flags," she said, expecting at least "hundreds" to appear along the route. "Chinese will be present from the beginning to the end of the relay."

The Chinese government has reportedly shipped out loads of its five-starred red flags to its overseas residents, hoping its sympathizers will dilute the critical atmosphere protesters are fostering around the world.

"We haven't received them yet, but we think the Chinese embassy will distribute the flags on Sunday," said Gao Giang, vice head of the association of Chinese students in South Korea. The embassy in Seoul did not return a call asking for its comments on the plan.

He said Chinese students are preparing "a program of their own" to welcome the flame but have no plan yet on how to deal with possible clashes that could erupt if North Korean defectors try to stop the relay.

Han, the North Korean defector, said earlier that his group will have no choice but "to fight it" if they are met with physical interference from supporters of the relay.

Rev. Kim Gyu-ho of the conservative Christians for Social Responsibility group said he expects nearly 100 human rights groups to gather near the starting point of the South Korean leg of the relay, but said there will be no physical attempts to stop the relay.

"Dozens of us will ride bicycles to chase the torch bearers, shouting our slogans," Kim said. Both Han and Kim said their coalitions currently do not plan to burn either Chinese or North Korean flags as part of their protests.

South Korean police are determined to stay on high alert for any attempts to stymie the relay that will begin at around 2:00 p.m. and end late at night before being moved to North Korea.

"We'll be prepared thoroughly to make sure that the relay is completed in a perfect manner by running separate teams closely escorting torch bearers," said Lee Song-beom, an official of the National Police Agency, which plans to mobilize over 8,000 officers and a helicopter to monitor the event.

SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap)