(2nd LD) U.S. Embassy in Seoul gets white powder mail

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SEOUL, Dec. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean authorities were on high alert Thursday after an envelope containing unidentified white powder was mailed to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
Initial tests found that the powder contained no toxins but officials said they
needed detailed tests which will take a few more days.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul is the latest to receive such suspicious envelops. The
U.S. State Department said earlier that similar envelops were mailed to more than
40 U.S. governors as well as its embassies since earlier this month. All have
tested negative so far.
The suspicious mailings sparked security concerns a few weeks before U.S.
President-elect Barack Obama's Jan. 20 inauguration.
South Korean police said the Texas-postmarked envelope was delivered to the U.S.
Embassy in Seoul Wednesday and that it was immediately sent to South Korean
authorities for testing.
One test found Lysine, a proteinic material believed to be fairly harmful to
humans, in the powder, but other tests turned out negative, the Korea Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention said.
"Details will be revealed after tests are concluded over the weekend," an
official said.
In 2001, letters containing anthrax killed five people and spread panic in the
United States.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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