Seoul, Dec 11 (NationPress) The South Korean government is embarking on a significant reorganization of its foreign ministry with the objective of bolstering its consular and overseas safety protection services in light of escalating threats to the safety of its nationals abroad, officials disclosed on Thursday.

The interior ministry intends to publicly announce a revised decree reflecting this reorganization plan from Friday until next Tuesday, prior to seeking its approval at an upcoming Cabinet meeting by the month’s end, as reported by the Yonhap News Agency.

This initiative is centered on enhancing the Consular Affairs and Safety Bureau of the foreign ministry in response to the increasing demand for robust protection of Koreans abroad, influenced by criminal scam operations in Cambodia targeting nationals, alongside natural disasters, conflicts, and other safety challenges.

The reorganization will establish a new director-general position responsible for overseas protection planning, while a dedicated division for responding to overseas safety crises will be incorporated into the bureau, aimed at improving overseas protection services and enhancing responses to incidents affecting nationals abroad.

The ministry will also expand its 24-hour consular assistance call center and increase personnel within the bureau by 21, which includes police officers assigned to the overseas safety situation room.

Additionally, the government plans to send 10 more police officers, consuls, and other officials to overseas missions across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

In related diplomatic developments, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday welcomed eight new ambassadors to South Korea, including the new envoy from India, as announced by the presidential office.

The newly appointed envoys include Gourangalal Das from India, Eva Russek from Austria, Khuon Phon Rattanak from Cambodia, Bernadette Therese Fernandez from the Philippines, Hazem Zaki from Egypt, Kojo Choi from Ghana, MK Pathmanathan from Sri Lanka, and Wael Hachem from Lebanon.

They presented their credentials to President Lee during a ceremony at the presidential office, marking the third such event since Lee's inauguration in June.

Typically, new ambassadors present their credentials to the head of state as a formality for assuming their roles.

During the ceremony, Lee expressed South Korea's aspirations to expand and deepen relations with their respective nations and encouraged the envoys to act as a “bridge” in enhancing economic, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges, according to a written briefing by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.

The ambassadors commended South Korea's successful hosting of this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and pledged their commitment to fostering cooperation across various domains, added Kang.