Korea is considering issuing travel alerts for its tourists planning to visit major destinations in Europe amid concerns of terrorist attack there, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday.
"We are keeping a close eye on recent developments in Western Europe and considering issuing travel warnings for South Koreans in some areas of the continent," the official said.
Under growing fears of major al-Qaida terrorist attacks on European landmarks, the United States, Britain, Japan and Sweden have issued travel alerts for their citizens. Western intelligence officials have claimed that terrorists had compiled a list of targets in France and Germany, including the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral, both in Paris, and Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Korea operates a four-level travel advisory system, with level four meaning a travel ban. Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq fall under that category.
Neither France nor Germany is currently under any travel warning.