Lead

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said no single government agency can cope with terror threats alone, stressing the need for a systematic response system involving civil and regional societies.

The government decided to raise the terror alert by a notch to strengthen counterterrorism measures ahead of the June 3 local elections, Yonhap News reported. The alert will be raised to the second-lowest level of "caution" on the four-tier scale for the whole country starting Thursday until June 4.

Coverage Comparison

Yonhap News, South Korea's leading wire service, provided two separate reports on this matter. One report focused on the government's decision to raise the terror alert, emphasizing the preemptive measures against potential threats to campaign sites and candidates. The other report highlighted Prime Minister Kim's remarks on the need for cooperation, as no single agency can handle terror threats alone. Both reports maintain an informative tone with active voice and attribute statements to official sources.

Key Claims

  • The government decided to raise the terror alert by a notch to strengthen counterterrorism measures ahead of the June 3 local elections. The alert will be raised to the second-lowest level of "caution" on the four-tier scale for the whole country starting Thursday until June 4.
  • Related agencies will strengthen policing and patrols at key event venues and multiuse facilities, and enhance the joint response system among related agencies to ensure an immediate response in the event of an incident.
  • Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said no single government agency can cope with terror threats alone.
  • According to Kim, new types of threats are emerging, including the spread of extremism online, crimes with abnormal motives targeting many unspecified people, and threats using new technologies such as drones.
  • Kim called for civil and regional societies to work together with the government to build a systematic response system.

Key Claims

The government's decision to raise the terror alert to "caution" level was announced by the Office for Government Policy Coordination in a statement. Related agencies will strengthen policing and patrols at key event venues and multiuse facilities, and enhance the joint response mechanism to ensure immediate response in case of an incident so the elections proceed successfully.

Speaking at a meeting on Friday, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok noted that "complex threats are emerging not only internationally but also in our society," citing the spread of extremism online, crimes with abnormal motives targeting unspecified people, and threats using new technologies such as drones. He emphasized the importance of building a systematic response system involving cooperation between related agencies and civil and regional societies, given the limitations of any single agency's efforts.

Kim also stressed the need for early detection of danger signals, information sharing, and updating the government's counterterrorism framework. The measures come ahead of the June 3 local elections, with the alert level raised starting Thursday and remaining in effect until June 4.

Key Claims

  • The government raised the terror alert to the second-lowest level of "caution" on a four-tier scale nationwide from Thursday until June 4, ahead of the June 3 local elections.
  • The move aims to preemptively block potential terrorist threats against campaign sites and candidates.
  • Related agencies will strengthen policing and patrols at key event venues and multiuse facilities, and enhance the joint response system for immediate response to incidents.
  • Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said no single government agency can cope with terror threats alone, citing emerging complex threats such as online extremism, crimes targeting unspecified people, and new technologies like drones.
  • Kim called for civil and regional societies to work with the government to build a systematic response system.