South Korea is to hold a meeting of security agencies Tuesday to discuss ways to deal with a growing number of Korean nationals murdered in the Philippines, the foreign ministry said.
The foreign ministry-chaired meeting will bring together officials from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, the prime ministerial center for anti-terrorism, the National Intelligence Service, and the police to delve into ways to better protect people traveling or living in the Southeast Asian country.
It was convened amid a steady rise in the number of South Koreans killed in the Philippines.
One South Korean man was shot to death by a unidentified gunman in a city, 200 kilometers north of Manila, last week.
Another three South Koreans were also found dead with gunshot wounds earlier in a sugar cane field in Bacolor earlier last month.
Including these victims, a total of seven South Koreans have reportedly been murdered in the country so far this year.
The corresponding number reached 11 for 2015 and 10 the previous year.
In order to inspect local security conditions, the foreign ministry's Director-General for Overseas Koreans and Consular Affairs Kim Wan-joon will fly to the Philippines on Wednesday, according to the ministry.
Kim plans to meet with local police and security officials to discuss the Philippine government's investigation into the latest murder cases, the ministry said. (Yonhap)
