Foreign ministry recommends S. Koreans in Saudi Arabia leave country amid Houthi attacks
Foreign ministry urges citizens to leave Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Houthi rebel attacks
Quick Look
South Korea has issued a Level 3 travel warning for Saudi Arabia, advising citizens to evacuate unless travel is urgent, following persistent Houthi rebel attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport.
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Why It Matters
The travel warning follows repeated Houthi rebel attacks on Saudi Arabian territory, including strikes on King Khalid International Airport.
SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry said Sunday it raised a travel warning for Saudi Arabia to the second-highest level amid continued attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on the Middle Eastern country.
The ministry said it issued a "Level 3" warning for Saudi Arabia as of 10 p.m. Sunday, recommending all South Korean nationals leave the country under attack unless on urgent business and those who wish to travel to Saudi Arabia cancel or postpone those plans.
The ministry made the decision after Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a meeting with South Korean diplomatic missions in 15 Middle Eastern nations to review security situations in the region.
Those nations included Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran and Israel.
The ministry said Cho noted recent attacks by the Houthis on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, which killed a dozen people and injured several hundred. The Houthis have also warned airlines and passengers not to use Saudi Arabian airports and airspace.
Cho urged South Korean diplomats in the Middle East to take extra care in protecting South Korean nationals overseas and stay prepared for all possible contingencies, according to the ministry.
Open Questions
- Will other nations follow with similar travel warnings?
- How long will the Level 3 warning remain in effect?
