Korea bans travel to Israel-Lebanon border, elevates Iran advisory

Korea has banned travel to the border regions of Israel and Lebanon and raised the travel advisory level for parts of Iran, effective Wednesday, as tensions in the Middle East sharply escalate.

Smoke rises from Kfar Kila, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, Lebanon on Tuesday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Korea has banned travel to the border regions of Israel and Lebanon and raised the travel advisory level for parts of Iran, effective Wednesday, as tensions in the Middle East sharply escalate.

The Level 4 travel ban, the highest on Korea's four-level travel warning system, has been applied to the northern border region of Israel and Lebanon's southern border area, approximately 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) and 5 kilometers from the Blue Line, respectively, the Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.

The Blue Line is a temporary demarcation line separating Lebanon from Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It was drawn by the United Nations in 2000 to define Israel's line of withdrawal from Lebanon.

Previously, most of Israel and Lebanon were under the Level 3 travel alert, which advises departure from these countries. The Gaza Strip and its border regions had already been issued a Level 4 travel warning.

A "special travel advisory" has been issued for the rest of Iran, recommending the cancellation or postponement of trips.

Korea maintains a Level 3 alert for the Iranian regions bordering Turkey and Iraq, as well as three coastal provinces — Khuzestan, Bushehr and Hormozgan — in the Persian Gulf.

As of Wednesday morning, approximately 540 Korean citizens are residing in Israel, 110 in Lebanon and 110 in Iran, excluding embassy personnel, according to the Foreign Ministry.

BY SEO JI-EUN, YONHAP [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]