Seoul mulls safety measures for Korean residents in Afghanistan

By Tony Chang
SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is considering comprehensive protection
measures for its residents in Afghanistan following recent armed attacks against
them by insurgents in the war-torn nation, the government said Thursday.
A South Korean construction firm engaged in reconstruction of Afghanistan
recently sustained three separate rounds of armed attacks from unidentified
insurgents, the foreign ministry said Thursday.
Construction equipment and vehicles of the Korean contractor, whose name was
withheld by the government, were damaged in the attacks, but no casualties were
reported.
"The government is reviewing comprehensive safety measures for our people
residing in dangerous areas (in Afghanistan), including issuing evacuation
advisories," said Moon Tae-young, the ministry spokesman.
Moon added Seoul has yet to identify the insurgents and that there was no
evidence suggesting the attacks were related to South Korea's recent decision to
send a provincial reconstruction team (PRT) to Afghanistan. South Korea currently
has a 25-member medical team operating in the Central Asian nation.
Seoul will decide on the location of the PRT operation "in consideration of the
safety of its people and through consultations with the NATO command" in
Afghanistan, according to Moon.
South Korea withdrew more than 200 military medics and engineers from Afghanistan
in 2007 after 23 South Korean Christian missionaries were held captive. Two of
them were killed and the rest were released after the Seoul government pledged to
withdraw the troops by the end of that year.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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