The Foreign Ministry has decided to provide satellite phones to Korean missions in areas deemed to be dangerous.

At a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Chung Un-chan on Friday, the Foreign Ministry decided to provide 25 foreign missions in areas designated as orange (travel restricted) or red (travel banned) with two satellite phones each.

The move is meant to provide added protection to Korean nationals abroad in the regions.

A ministry official added that the number of legal counselors at overseas Korean missions will be increased from 17 to 39 in 2010 due to the increasing number of cases where Korean nationals are tried in court or imprisoned.

The ministry also approved a move to increase the number of consular assistants abroad to approximately 106 from the current 62.

In addition, the government is encouraging Korean travelers to obtain reliable travel insurance prior to going abroad.