(3rd LD) S. Koreans attacked again in Yemen but unharmed: ministry

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; UPDATES with ministry's statement in paras 7-8)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, March 18 (Yonhap) -- A convoy of vehicles carrying several South Korean
diplomats and civilians visiting Yemen to investigate a weekend attack on South
Korean tourists was attacked by a suicide bomber Wednesday, but no one was hurt,
according to Seoul's foreign ministry.
Foreign news agencies quoted local security officials as saying a suicide bomber
blew himself up on a road as the convoy, led by a police car, headed to an
airport in the Yemeni capital, Sanna, at around 2:40 p.m. (Seoul time). The
bomber, however, missed his target by triggering his explosive belt seconds after
the convoy passed, according to news reports from Yemen.
The officials included a diplomat from the South Korean Embassy and two foreign
ministry officials dispatched there to deal with the aftermath of an explosion on
Sunday night (Seoul time) in Yemen's eastern city of Shibam, the ministry said.
Sunday's explosion, for which Yemeni authorities said al-Qaida was responsible,
killed four South Koreans and wounded three others who were on a group tour
there.
Three bereaved family members of the victims were also aboard a vehicle in the
affected convoy, said the ministry.
"A bomb exploded abruptly about 10 minutes before the convoy of vehicles was
scheduled to arrive at an airport in Sanna," a ministry official told reporters
on condition of anonymity. "Windows of the car in the front were broken, but no
one was hurt, fortunately."
He added it is unclear whether the bombing targeted South Korean officials,
saying there is a possibility that the attacker might have believed the convoy
involved high-profile Yemeni government officials.
The ministry later expressed "serious concern" about a series of terrorist
attacks on South Koreans.
"We can't contain serious concern that a series of bombing incidents happened,"
ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said in a statement. "The government is mapping
out related measures, leaving all possibilities open (about the exact cause of
the second bombing). We are first taking special safety measures for South Korean
diplomatic missions, companies, residents and tourists in the Middle East."
A dozen survivors of Sunday's bombing came back to South Korea on Tuesday, with
the bodies of the dead expected to arrive here on Thursday. The three bereaved
families left Yemen to return home as scheduled, but four South Korean officials
including a police officer and a state intelligence official plan to stay there
as the investigation into Sunday's attack is still underway.
Terrorism is prevalent in Yemen, which is known as Osama bin Laden's ancestral
homeland.
Last month, the leader of al-Qaida on the Arabian Peninsula, Nasser al-Wahishi,
called on Yemeni people to rebel against the government and confront security
forces trying to hunt down al-Qaida operatives. The Yemeni government has cracked
down on al-Qaida members.
Earlier in the day, the South Korean government instructed its diplomatic
missions and other facilities abroad to bolster security measures, officials said
after an emergency working-level meeting to discuss ways to better protect South
Koreans abroad.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)