The government has issued the second-highest travel warning for all of Libya, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, as anti-government protests escalated across the African nation with rioters attacking a string of Korean-run construction sites.
The ministry told Koreans to leave Libya unless they are on urgent and unavoidable trips, and cancel or postpone nonessential visits to the country. The advisory, issued late Monday, was the second-highest after an all-out travel ban in Korea's four-step travel advisory system.
The move came after a series of Korean-run construction sites in Libya fell victim to rioting amid fanning anti-government protests. On Monday, three South Korean workers were hurt in a clash with rioters at a construction site near Tripoli.
They were the first injuries to Koreans reported since rioting began last week.
The intruders left six hours later after stealing three vehicles and other items.
Also Monday, rioters raided a construction site in Zawia near Tripoli, seizing two vehicles and damaging the living quarters of workers. Another site in Khoms, about 100 kilometer east of the capital, was also attacked with intruders stealing three vehicles, cash and laptop computers.
There were two more similar cases of rioting at South Korean-run construction sites on Sunday.
The latest wave of rioting began last Friday when hundreds of Libyans entered a construction site in Derna in eastern Libya and set fire to buildings. Officials said that the anti-government protests appear to have fueled the rioting, which is believed to have started over discontent of the government's housing policy.
On Monday, Korea held an interagency meeting to discuss how to cope with the situation. The foreign ministry said after the meeting that the government decided to set up task forces in Seoul and Libya to oversee safety measures while dispatching a quick response team to the African nation.
Korea's ambassador to Libya, Jo Dae-sik, who is in Seoul for an annual conference of diplomatic mission chiefs, will cut short his schedule and return to Libya on Tuesday to address the situation, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also said that the government will draw up plans to evacuate South Koreans from Libya in case of emergency, including mobilizing special flights. (Yonhap)