1. Balochistan province is an area in Pakistan where, with various terrorist groups, including the Islamic State (IS), the Taliban and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), operating actively, the largest number of terrorist attacks in the country occur.

° Such large terrorist groups as the IS and the Taliban continue recruiting members, and terrorist attacks are launched on foreigners as well.

※ In 2016, 151 terrorist attacks occurred in the region, -- which accounts for 32% of the total such attacks in Pakistan -- leaving 1,114 people killed or injured.

° Pakistan has deployed the majority of its troops and firearms in the border area with Afghanistan, leaving the other areas in Balochistan province in a security vacuum.

2. Judging that public insecurity could continue in Balochistan province for some time, the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Korea has decided to issue on July 27 a one-week, automatically extendable special travel warning for the area in an effort to better protect the Korean nationals there.

※ The other parts of Pakistan are already under the travel-alert level of “Red Alert (Travel Restricted).”

※ The special travel warning is tantamount to the travel-alert level of “Black Alert (Travel Banned),” which calls for prohibiting Korean nationals from traveling in the designated area(s), and for those already there, immediately evacuating or withdrawing from the region(s).

3. The Foreign Ministry will continue monitoring the public security situation in Balochistan, and mulling over whether the special travel warning should remain in place.

4. The Korean nationals staying in or planning to visit Pakistan are advised to check the aforementioned travel warning issued by the Foreign Ministry and pay serious heed to their safety.


* unofficial translation