In Seoul flags and banners festoon every lamp post and after six years of preparation everything is ready for a festival of football that will be watched by an estimated one sixth of the world's population.

South Korea is billing the World Cup, the first to be played in Asia and the first to be hosted by two countries, as a force for peace in a troubled world.

No-one is too small to escape the security checks

But to ensure that the peace is not broken at the world's largest sporting event since 11 September, an unprecedented security operation is underway.

Over 400,000 police will be on guard in South Korea, anti-aircraft missiles have been placed near stadiums and fighter-jets flying over Seoul are enforcing a no-fly zone.

"This is the World Cup of Safety," South Korea's Prime Minister Lee Han-dong said on the eve of the opening match in the capital Seoul.

"It will be a secure World Cup," he added.

Anti-aircraft missiles

About 420,000 police will be on the ground, along with thousands of soldiers, snipers, bio-terror and bomb disposal experts.

Even the grass is being searched

Anti-aircraft missiles have been placed near the 10 stadiums where matches will be played and F-16 fighter jets are protecting the skies above, enforcing no-fly zones.

President Kim Dae-jung said he hoped the event would inspire peace around the world.

"The Korean people and I have striven to make this World Cup a global festivity inspiring the six billion people of the world with peace, harmony and hope for the future," Mr Kim said in a message published in English-language newspapers.

Swat helicopters

But the events of 11 September still cast a shadow over the tournament - the US team has come in for special attention, with the largest security guard the tournament has ever seen.

When the team arrived at Incheon Airport 800 members of Korea's national guard formed a human tunnel to allow the squad to walk through.

The US squad has the largest security team ever

Since then the team has been surrounded by a constant presence of heavily armed soldiers and police and during training sessions Swat helicopters hovered overhead.

South Korea is also on the alert for troublesome fans with anti-hooligan units on the ground.

Already their World Cup co-hosts Japan have turned away 16 Britons suspected of being hooligans, an official from the British embassy in Tokyo.

Ticketing problems

There are fears that fans might turn to violence because of continuing problems with ticketing for the tournament.

Fifa admitted on Friday that up to 100,000 fans will have to pick up their World Cup tickets on match day.

Andreas Herren, a spokesman for the world football body, said the delivery problems were largely a result of delays in receiving information from soccer federations on ticket sales.

Hooligans will be given very short shrift

But it is not just average fans who are being affected by the extra security - VIPs are under the cosh too.

Security guards at Singapore's international airport seized a submachine gun and five clips of ammunition from a bodyguard travelling with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son, police said on Friday.

A pistol, revolver and a knife were also taken from Abousbeiha Hussein Azzaydi in the seizure as Saadi Gaddafi and friends were travelling to Seoul for the World Cup.