S. Korean police to deploy bodyguards for foreign envoys

The South Korean police plan to expand its protection of foreign envoys in the country from office security to personal safety. The National Police Agency made the announcement Wednesday at a consultative meeting with lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party.

The police plan to deploy bodyguards for diplomatic envoys who are believed to be highly exposed to risks of physical attacks based on the police`s own judgment. Foreign diplomats in South Korea have not been eligible for police bodyguard service due to a lack of a relevant law. The police have deployed seven bodyguards to U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert and his family following last week`s attack on him.

The plan also calls for strengthening the security and guarding of foreign diplomats and diplomatic offices in accordance with danger levels. At a "normal" level, local police officers would simply patrol the areas around foreign diplomatic offices except those of major countries. If there are signs of danger, the police would beef up security around the facilities of foreign diplomatic missions and deploy teams of bodyguards to protect the safety diplomats. At a "high" danger level, the law enforcement agency would fully mobilize its personnel resources available and provide round-the-clock bodyguard service.

Attending the policy consultative meeting were Chin Young, chairman of the National Assembly`s standing committee on security and public administration, Cho Won-jin, the Saenuri Party`s secretary-general at the parliamentary committee, Minister of Public Safety and Security Park In-yong and National Police Agency Commissioner General Kang Shin-myeong.

jmpark@donga.com