Asia-Pacific

S Korean gov't to shore up national security system

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-28 10:40

SEOUL - The South Korean government is planning to shore up the country's national security system in the wake of a recent naval disaster that some say revealed a security hole, local media reported Wednesday citing an unidentified government source.

The move is prompted by perceived public distrust of the government following the mysterious naval incident near a tense border with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) a month ago, which critics say was mishandled by military and security authorities here.

A possible revamp might include creating a new organization in charge of harmonizing opinions of different government bodies and leading public relations, and expanding the diplomacy and security office at the presidential office, Yonhap News Agency said.

The authorities have been seen scrambling to determine the cause of the naval tragedy late last month that resulted in the most peacetime fatalities, while unsuccessful search and rescue operation and an alleged lack of transparency in providing information to the public have been cited as reasons to overhaul the security system.