via Yonhap NA, Seoul, Korea
One citizen seems to have taken the government's call to give a warm welcome to the G-20 summit's foreign participants quite literally.
Two days ahead of Thursday's start of the summit, employees at a post office in southern Seoul received a parcel addressed to U.S. President Barack Obama's youngest daughter, Sasha. The box was intended for delivery to the G-20's main conference venue.
Staff at the post office, on high alert for terrorist threats since last month, immediately investigated the contents of the box. X-ray results showed about 15 round objects that looked like fruit, but no sign of an explosive.
Still unassured, the staff called in a SWAT team and a sniffer dog, but the parcel was later found to contain Asian pears.
The gift was returned to its 70-something-year-old sender in the southern port city of Busan the same day. He is known to have previously sent fruit to former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun in a similar way.
The post office declined to comment on the parcel or the reason for its return.
hague@yna.co.kr