Gov't to bolster anti-terrorism measures

Ruling Saenuri Party and government officials hold an emergency meeting in Seoul, Wednesday to bolster anti-terror posture in the wake of the Paris attacks. / Yonhap

The government said Wednesday that it will propose spending an extra 100 billion won or $85 billion on countermeasures against possible terrorist attacks, Yonhap News Agency reported Wednesday.

The government and the ruling Saenuri Party reached the agreement at an emergency meeting held this morning.

Concerns are heightened about the possibility of a terrorist attack in South Korea, a close ally of the United States, following the Paris attacks last Friday.

The government said that it wants to purchase five armed high-speed boats worth 29.6 billion won and also spend nearly 30 billion won to beef up measures against possible attacks using biological or chemical weapons.

The government said it will also move to revise related legislation that will require South Korean residents returning from overseas to provide fingerprint information in order to enter the country.