Security team using goldfish at G20 summit

A water maintenance worker holds a pipe Tuesday as he watches goldfish swim in a tank beneath the venue of the G20 Summit in Seoul. Photo: AFP

In addition to thousands of heavily armed police and troops, six goldfish will put their lives on the line to safeguard world leaders at this week's G20 summit in South Korea.

The Convention and Exhibition Center in southern Seoul, which is hosting the event, will use the fish to check the purity of the water supply to restrooms, an official said Tuesday.

"The fish also symbolize an eco-friendly water policy, which recycles used water for the restrooms," Oh Su-young, the center's PR manager, told AFP, adding that the fish are just part of the inspection process.

South Korea is pulling out all stops to look good for this two-day summit is readily apparent with a stroll through Seoul's downtown core.

The streets are spotless, cleaned by thousands of government employees, who in recent days were ordered to leave their desks and roll up their sleeves to pitch in; and everywhere, massive welcoming banners hang from the city's towering office buildings.

Agencies