Lawmaker calls for foreign ministry to strictly enforce travel ban

Only 82 Korean nationals have been barred from visiting nations that have travel bans since 2007, an independent lawmaker said Monday, urging the foreign ministry to strictly enforce the ban.

Korea has banned its citizens from traveling to certain nations for safety concerns, but exceptional permits to use passports could be granted for such purposes as business, government affairs and urgent reports.

Rep. Park Joo-sun said in a report that the ministry granted about 13,400 exceptional permits between 2007 and 2011 to visit nations under a travel ban.

Citing data he obtained from the ministry, Park said the number of Korean nationals who visited banned nations was on the rise.

The ministry granted 605 exceptional permits in 2007; 947 in 2008; 1,153 in 2010; and 4,506 in 2011, according to the report.

Currently, Korea imposes travel bans on Yemen, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan and several other nations. (Yonhap)