The government has decided to enact a counter-terrorism law. The envisaged law calls for establishing an organization to deal with terrorist threats and setting down the chain of command in case of attack.
The decision came at a meeting of security related ministers Friday ... ten days after the suicide attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.
Under the law, a separate "counter-terror center" will also be formed with officials from the ministries of defense, government administration and home affairs and the National Intelligence Service.
The law will specify the duties of each ministry for different types of terrorist attacks and designate emergency rescue and police units to make an efficient response to terrorism.
These units will stand ready around the clock, and local governments will be asked to operate their own counter-terrorism teams.
The government has also decided to maintain tight security at foreign institutions and hold evacuation drills at large buildings in Seoul and other major cities.