1. The Foreign Ministry previously issued a temporary, special travel advisory for the Island of Bohol, northern Mindanao of the Philippines, effective from April 13 till 23, in an effort to better protect nationals of the Republic of Korea there. The decision was based on the judgment that the public insecurity in the area, triggered by the shootout between the military and the police of the Philippines and the Abu Sayyaf terror group on April 11, could continue for some time on the Island of Bohol, the venue of the ASEAN summit from April 18 till 22.

2. According to the Philippine government, a small number of Abu Sayyaf terrorists are currently on the run but are under siege in Inabanga, where they were first infiltrated. Given the circumstances, the ROK Foreign Ministry has decided to keep the special travel advisory effective only in the area where the Philippine military and police are conducting an operation to find the rebels.

° The special travel advisory is tantamount to the travel-alert level of “Red Alert (Travel Restricted),” which calls for cancelling or postponing if possible the plan to visit the designated area, or leaving the area unless there are urgent matters to attend to.

* Travel advisories for different parts of the Philippines
- Blue Alert (Precautious): Subic, Boracay and Lapu-Lapu
- Yellow Alert (Highly Cautious): Regions under neither Blue nor Red Alert
- Red Alert (Travel Restricted): Region south of Puerto Princesa, Palawan
- Special travel advisory: Island of Bohol
- Special travel alert: Island of Mindanao (except for Davao and Cagayan de Oro), Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi

3. The Foreign Ministry will continue monitoring the security situation in the aforementioned area in the Philippines and mull over the possibility of lifting the travel alert after the Philippine military and police wrap up their operation to find the rebels.


* unofficial translation