03 May 2024 | 02:25 PM UTC
East Asia: South Korean officials issue security advisory for several of its diplomatic facilities in East Asia as of May 3
South Korean officials issue security advisory for several of its diplomatic facilities in East Asia as of May 3. Exercise caution.
South Korean officials have issued an elevated security advisory for five of its diplomatic facilities across East Asia as of May 3. The government in Seoul has raised its four-tier anti-terrorism alert status from "attention" to "alert" due to intelligence reports indicating North Korea's attempted acts to target South Korean diplomats overseas. The impacted diplomatic facilities include:
Phnom Penh, Cambodia: South Korean Embassy
Vientiane, Laos: South Korean Embassy
Hanoi, Vietnam: South Korean Embassy
Shenyang, China: South Korean Consulate General
As of May 3, additional specifics regarding the scope of the threats and the duration of the measures remain ambiguous. Officials will almost certainly maintain an enhanced security posture at the affected diplomatic facilities over the coming days. Isolated security incidents cannot be ruled out. Disruptions to diplomatic services are possible.
Exercise increased caution if operating in or near the affected diplomatic facilities over the coming days. Depart the area at the first sign of any security disturbance. Always proper identification documentation. Maintain contact with your diplomatic mission. Plan for possible disruptions to diplomatic services at the affected facilities. Heed all official transport and security advisories.
South Korean authorities have asserted that North Korea has pursued various clandestine tactics to target South Korean assets and personnel across East Asia. Over the past few decades, credible reports have indicated North Korea's involvement in several incidents. For instance, two state-sponsored North Korean operatives planted a bomb on a South Korean airliner in 1987, leading to its midair explosion near Myanmar and resulting in the deaths of all 115 people aboard.
The latest security advisory indicates an escalated level of readiness in response to perceived threats in South Korea's four-tier anti-terrorism alert status: "caution," "attention," "alert," and "crisis." Outside of East Asia, the advisory also applies to the South Korean General Consulate in Vladivostok, Russia.
