South Korea on Wednesday unveiled a set of measures to ensure the safety of its nationals in foreign countries amid growing risks of exposure to terrorist acts and violent crime, officials said.

The move came after officials from Seoul's foreign ministry and other agencies held a pan-governmental meeting to discuss ways to draw up systemic measures to protect its nationals staying overseas.

The officials mainly discussed how to strengthen the protection of Korean nationals who are targets of crime and terrorist acts, the foreign ministry said.

There are growing concerns that South Korean citizens are not safe from possible attacks by terrorists following the recent purported killing of two Japanese hostages by the Islamic State militant group.

Seoul's foreign ministry said it will educate local students to inform them of the risks of terrorism and the proper usage of the Internet, given that the IS has been recruiting new members through social network services.

The Seoul government has been keeping close tabs on the possible impact of Muslim fundamentalism on its citizens since a South Korean teenager vanished in Turkey earlier last month.

The 18-year-old, identified only by his surname Kim, is believed to have crossed the border into Syria voluntarily to join the IS, according to Seoul police.

The government said it also plans to hold a series of meetings at its diplomatic missions in countries bordering Syria, such as Turkey and Jordan, in a bid to provide its nationals information on safety and the risks of entering Iraq and Syria.

In recent years, more Koreans have been exposed to crime in foreign countries. In the Philippines, 10 South Koreans were killed last year while 13 were murdered there in 2013. Four Korean drug dealers were executed in China last year alone.

To beef up its response capacity, Seoul plans to increase the number of consular staff members after selecting 10 overseas missions in countries prone to accidents and crime. It will also send one more police officer to the Philippines to join local police officials in handling crimes involving South Koreans there.

Touching on drug-related crime, the Seoul government said it plans to raise alertness against involvement in such offenses in foreign countries.

It said it will also send government officials to China to promote cooperation with related authorities to prevent South Koreans from committing drug-related crimes there. (Yonhap)