(LEAD) Gov't eyeing 'national counterterrorism headquarters' to better cope with emerging new threats

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with meeting's results) SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- The government will push for the expansion of the counterterrorism center under the Prime Minister's Office to make it play the role of a national control tower overseeing and coordinating the country's all anti-terrorism efforts, officials said Friday. The envisioned "national counterterrorism headquarters" was one of the key issues discussed at a meeting of the government's task force formed to look for measures to overhaul the way the government handles terror threats to better cope with new types of emerging threats. "Unlike in the past, complex threats are emerging not only in the international community but also in our society as well," Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said at the start of the meeting that brought together not only related government officials but also civilian experts. "In order to deal effectively with these threats, it is very important to build an organic response system that involves cooperation between related agencies but also civil and regional societies because there are limitations to any single agency's efforts," he said. Preventive measures are as important as coping with the aftermath of terrorism, Kim said, stressing the importance of early detection of danger signals, information sharing and educational training while instructing the task force to update related regulations and manuals to suit reality. Friday's meeting also discussed measures to make better use of such advanced technologies as artificial intelligence, data analysis and drones for anti-terrorism efforts, and updating related regulations to specify drone and other new threats as types of terrorism, officials said. Also discussed were measures to empower the national counterterrorism committee headed by the prime minister to designate local terror organizations, expand the roles of human rights protection officers and better protect those at higher risks of terrorism, officials said. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (L) speaks during a meeting of a task force on counterterrorism at the government complex in Seoul on May 15, 2026. (Yonhap) (END)