Seoul: The foreign ministry called on relevant agencies and diplomatic missions Friday to make full preparations to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals in the United States amid growing protests against immigration raids by U.S. authorities. Yoon Chu-sok, director general for overseas Koreans and consular affairs, discussed the measures with the officials of the Overseas Koreans Agency and the South Korean embassy and consulates across the U.S., the ministry said in a release.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon stressed the need to provide swift consular assistance in the event of arrests or detentions involving Korean nationals during the protests. He called for "proactive safety measures" and instructed missions to promptly issue safety alerts containing protest updates and guidance.

The ministry said the diplomatic missions will form task forces and maintain an emergency response posture ahead of protests expected across the U.S. this weekend.