NewKerala.com

South Korea's Safety Shield: How Seoul is Protecting Citizens Abroad Amid Rising Risks

South Korea is taking major steps to keep its citizens safe while they're overseas. The government is restructuring its foreign ministry to beef up consular services and crisis response. This move comes as Koreans face growing threats like scam rings in Cambodia and other global dangers. At the same time, President Lee welcomed new ambassadors, highlighting the country's focus on both protecting its people and building international bridges.

Key Points: South Korea Strengthens Consular Services for Nationals' Overseas Safety

  • Plan creates a new director-general role for overseas protection planning
  • A dedicated crisis response division will be added to handle incidents
  • The 24-hour consular call center will be expanded for better assistance
  • 21 new personnel, including police, will join the safety bureau's team
3 min read

South Korea to strengthen consular services amid rising safety risks to nationals abroad

South Korea reorganizes its foreign ministry to better protect citizens abroad from scams, disasters, and conflicts, adding new crisis teams and personnel.

"serve as a 'bridge' in expanding areas of the economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges - President Lee Jae Myung to new ambassadors"

Seoul, Dec 11

The South Korean government plans to conduct a reorganisation of the foreign ministry aimed at strengthening its consular and overseas safety protection services amid rising risks to the safety of nationals abroad, officials said on Thursday.

The interior ministry plans to preannounce a revised decree reflecting the reorganisation plan from Friday to next Tuesday before having it approved at a Cabinet meeting by the end of the month, government officials said, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The plan focuses on strengthening the foreign ministry's Consular Affairs and Safety Bureau amid the growing need for stronger protection for Koreans abroad, stemming from criminal scam rings in Cambodia targeting nationals as well as natural disasters, conflicts and other safety issues.

Under the reorganisation plan, a new director-general-level post in charge of overseas protection planning will be established, while a new division for overseas safety crisis response will be added to the bureau to enhance overseas protection services and improve response to incidents affecting nationals abroad.

The ministry's 24-hour call centre for consular assistance will also be expanded, while the bureau's personnel will be increased by 21, including police officers in charge of the situation room for overseas safety.

As part of the plan, the government also plans to dispatch 10 additional police officers, consuls and other officials to overseas missions across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday received diplomatic credentials from eight new ambassadors to South Korea, including the new envoy from India, the presidential office said.

The envoys included Gourangalal Das of India, Eva Russek of Austria, Khuon Phon Rattanak of Cambodia, Bernadette Therese Fernandez of the Philippines, Hazem Zaki of Egypt, Kojo Choi of Ghana, MK Pathmanathan of Sri Lanka and Wael Hachem of Lebanon.

They presented their credentials to Lee during a ceremony held at the presidential office, the third such ceremony held since Lee's inauguration in June.

New ambassadors typically present their credentials to the head of state to formally assume their roles.

During the ceremony, Lee told the envoys that South Korea hopes to broaden and deepen relations with their respective countries and urged them to serve as a "bridge" in expanding areas of the economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.

The ambassadors positively evaluated South Korea's successful hosting of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and pledged to work toward strengthening cooperation in various fields, Kang added.

int/akl/sd

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Good to see the new Indian ambassador, Mr. Das, presenting his credentials. Hope this leads to stronger tech and cultural ties between India and South Korea. The BTS and K-drama wave here is huge!
P
Priya S
It's concerning to read about scam rings in Cambodia targeting Koreans. Indian students and professionals face similar risks in some countries. Our embassies need to be more vigilant and responsive. A dedicated crisis response division is essential.
R
Rohit P
While this is a positive move for South Korea, I hope our government is paying attention. We have a much larger diaspora spread across the globe. Our consular services often feel understaffed and slow to react during emergencies. Time for an upgrade!
K
Karthik V
The part about dispatching more police officers to missions is smart. Security on the ground is crucial. Hope the new Indian ambassador can work on easier visa processes and more direct flights between our countries. The economic potential is massive.
M
Meera T
A respectful suggestion for our own authorities: We should learn from such reorganizations. Protecting citizens abroad should be a top priority. The world is becoming more unpredictable with conflicts and scams. Jai Hind.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50