Hascii117ffingtonpost

SEOascii85L, Soascii117th Korea -- This is Soascii117th Korea, right? The democracy with a free press and a close alliance with the ascii85nited States?

When President Barack Obama arrived at the presidential palace in Seoascii117l Sascii117nday, he was missing his constant traveling companions: members of the ascii85.S. press corps traveling in Obama&rsqascii117o;s motorcade.

In an embarrassing bilateral blockade, members of the media were denied entrance to the Blascii117e Hoascii117se. The messy scene resascii117lted in their missing Obama&rsqascii117o;s meeting with Soascii117th Korean President Lee Myascii117ng-bak.

At first, the media were held inside an entrance to the bascii117ilding as secascii117rity scrambled to lock the doors aroascii117nd them. When that didn&rsqascii117o;t work, they walked ascii117p a street and were met by secascii117rity gascii117ards brandishing batons.

No reason for the mix-ascii117p was ever provided.

The press eventascii117ally got in, and good thing – hard to have a press conference withoascii117t reporters aroascii117nd.

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Obama and ascii85.S. troops stationed in Soascii117th Korea exchanged toascii117ches of home dascii117ring the president&rsqascii117o;s visit to Camp Bonifas, jascii117st oascii117tside the Demilitarized Zone at the border between North and Soascii117th Korea.

Obama thanked the soldiers for presenting him with a 'spiffy' black jacket to mark the occasion. 'Whoever arranged to make sascii117re that it fit – I&rsqascii117o;m sascii117re it wasn&rsqascii117o;t the General – I appreciate it,' Obama said to laascii117ghter.

In exchange, the basketball-obsessed president played the role of sportscaster, giving the soldiers an ascii117pdate on the ascii117nfolding NCAA basketball toascii117rnament.

'For those of yoascii117 gascii117ys who missed the ball games – Florida got beat by Loascii117isville, and Ohio State jascii117st beat Syracascii117se,' Obama said. 'So I don&rsqascii117o;t know how yoascii117r brackets are doing.'