Last Year 1,368 Terror Incidents in 49 Countries... Prime Minister Kim Warns of Terror Threats from New Technologies like Drones

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kim Hyewon] The government has established nine key tasks to prepare for domestic and international terrorism and will take preemptive measures to block potential threats. Additionally, it plans to designate 11 regional marina ports as immigration hubs to address management vulnerabilities in marina port control.

On the 11th, the government held the 14th National Counterterrorism Committee meeting at the Government Seoul Office, chaired by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, where it reviewed and approved the "2022 National Counterterrorism Activity Promotion Plan" and measures to "Strengthen Immigration Control at Marina Ports."

Last year, there were a total of 1,368 terrorist incidents across 49 countries worldwide. The government anticipates that the terrorism situation will continue this year due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, expressing concerns about the possibility of far-right terrorism and hate crimes.

Under the goal of counterterrorism activities, the nine key tasks established by the government include early detection of terrorism signs and blocking the entry of high-risk individuals and terrorist funding activities through cooperation with foreign intelligence and investigative agencies. To prepare for new types of terrorism using drones, the government will reinforce drone detection and blocking systems at major national facilities, establish additional police special forces units (in Ulsan, Gangwon, and Chungbuk), and increase the number of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) specialists in the Fire Agency. The Fire Agency’s counterterrorism rescue teams will expand from the current 24 teams with 646 personnel to 27 teams with 914 personnel. Laws will also be amended to strengthen restrictions on terrorist funding transactions.

Currently, yachts enter and exit through 37 marina ports scattered nationwide, but due to insufficient security and immigration facilities, there are management gaps such as unauthorized departures of entrants. In response, the government plans to designate and operate 11 regional marina ports as immigration hubs with enhanced security facilities, establish an information system for marina users, and provide one-stop immigration services, implementing these measures in phases.

Prime Minister Kim said, "This year, rapid changes in the international terrorism situation are expected due to the shifting situation in Afghanistan and the reorganization of international terrorist groups such as ISIS," adding, "There are unprecedented concerns about terrorism using new technologies like drones and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as cyberterrorism threats to critical facilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.