South Korean officials on Friday convened an emergency meeting to deal with the ongoing unrest in Africa and the Middle East, the foreign
ministry said.
Government officials from the new emergency response team launched last month gathered to discuss the situation in violence-torn Libya and other countries, including Yemen, Bahrain, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Oman, the ministry said.
"The situation in Libya is still not stabilizing and is showing signs of spreading to nearby countries," said Moon Ha-yong,ambassador for overseas Koreans and consular affairs and the
head of the team.
"We need to accurately assess the situation across our government and check our preparedness," he said.
During the meeting, officials from relevant ministries and the presidential and prime minister's offices agreed to step up the
government's travel restrictions on countries affected by the recent wave of pro-democracy protests, the foreign ministry said.
They also decided to set up quick response teams for each of the affected countries, comprised of officials who have worked there, and to seek security measures for South Korean firms with operations in the affected countries.