SOUTH KOREA FINALLY EXTENDS TRAVEL BAN TO SIX COUNTRIES BY 6 MONTHS

SOUTH KOREA will extend a travel ban to six countries in the Middle East and Africa, as well as parts of the Philippines by six months. The ban was made following prolonged security risks, South Korea’s foreign ministry said. The ban is scheduled to expire on January 31.

The Yonhap News Agency said the ban would be extended to Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan and the southern regions of the Philippine archipelago – the Zamboanga Peninsula, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.

The designated areas are exposed to a constant risk of terrorist attacks and political instability which is likely to persist for a considerable period of time, the ministry said.

Travel to Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan has been banned since 2007. Seoul imposed a ban on Yemen in 2011, Libya in 2014 and the islands of the Philippines in 2015. [antaranews/photo special]