Security at the Pyeongchang Games "has been low-key, lacking the heavily armed presence of previous Olympics," and the "lack of a highly visible security presence reflects the low levels of violent crime," according to Michaels & Madhani of USA TODAY. Guns used for hunting or target practice in South Korea "must be registered and kept at a local police station." Even biathletes could not "bring their rifles to their rooms and had to place them in a guarded warehouse, unlike previous Olympics." South Korea "has fewer guns per capita than any developed nation." Most police do not "carry sidearms, and few citizens can legally possess guns." POCOG said that the lack of a visible armed presence should not "be confused with lax security." South Korea’s 625,000-person active duty military is "well-trained and equipped with modern U.S. arms." It also has a "well-regarded intelligence service." There are more than 25,000 American troops in Pyeongchang as well, "helping to defend the South in the event of an attack" (USA TODAY, 2/18).
