Asia-Pacific

Seoul seeks budget hike to fight terrorism

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-11-04 16:27

SEOUL - South Korea's foreign ministry is seeking to drastically increase its budget next year for anti-terrorism efforts to better cope with non-traditional security threats, local media reported citing an unidentified ministry official.

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The ministry's budget proposal submitted to the parliament shows the next year's budget set aside for "anti-terrorism response system and security cooperation" will rise 63.6 percent to 265 million won ($237,000), according to Yonhap News Agency.

It includes a 203 percent jump in the budget earmarked for beefing up security at 38 South Korean diplomatic missions stationed in areas vulnerable to possible terrorist attacks, including those in African countries, Yonhap said.

The ministry also separately asked for a chunk for moving the South Korean embassy in Iraq to the heavily fortified Green Zone.

Spending plans for a South Korean troop fighting pirates in Somalia and for cooperation with multilateral security organizations showed a slight decline.