Gunmen in a passing vehicle opened fire on the Korean embassy in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, soon after midnight Sunday. Fortunately, no embassy officials were killed or wounded, although three officials were staying at the residence in the same compound.
The attack killed two Libyan guards and injured another officer. Less than two hours after the shooting, the Islamic State militant group, also known as ISIS, claimed responsibility on Twitter, saying, "The soldiers of the Caliphate in Tripoli killed two of the guards at the South Korean embassy.’’
The attack is surprising, given we have thought South Korea would hardly be a primary target because it has provided only humanitarian aid in the international community’s anti-terror war. But the incident is a reminder that Korea is not immune from such violence.
It is not clear if the assault targeted Korean diplomats or the guards. But considering that the vehicle did not try to break into the embassy building, chances are high that the assailants did not target the embassy itself.
Even so, this is certainly no time for complacency. Our concern runs deeper because Korea is a strong ally of the United States, which has been spearheading the global anti-terror front.
IS, notorious for its brutal beheadings and the burning to death of civilians, is a radical Sunni Islamist militant group that has seized large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. More recently, the jihadist group has expanded its activity to North Africa, including Egypt and Libya, emerging as the most serious terror threat to the international community.
Libya has been in chaos since Moammar Gadhafi was ousted in the 2011 revolt. Since then, heavily armed militias have battled for control of the country’s cities and oil wealth. Now there are two governments and parliaments after Islamist armed groups seized Tripoli in August. The internationally recognized government is in the far eastern city of Tobruk.
Security around the Korean embassy in Tripoli reportedly has been tightened since the attack, but it will be necessary to relocate embassy staff and about 40 Korean residents from Tripoli, even if temporarily. The Foreign Ministry needs to come up swiftly with comprehensive measures to effectively protect our nationals in the Middle East and North Africa.
Korea also should brace for the possibility that some Islamic groups may penetrate Korea to carry out terror attacks domestically. This is not impossible, given that Korea has deported nearly 50 foreigners over the past five years for involvement in international terror groups. All this explains why Korea should hurry to draft a comprehensive anti-terror law.