All South Koreans remaining in Afghanistan must leave the country by no later than July or face criminal punishment, a foreign ministry official said Monday, as unrest grew in Afghanistan, Yonhap reported.
A violation of the travel ban is punishable by up to one year in prison or a 10 million-won fine (US$8,837) under Korean law.
A "very small" number of Koreans are still in the country despite the government's repeated requests for withdrawal, the foreign ministry official said, declining to give details on how many are staying due to safety concerns.
A government delegation, headed by a senior foreign ministry official from Seoul, visited Kabul last week to meet with and persuade them to leave as soon as they can, according to the official.
"Despite our request, a very small number of our citizens remain in the country due to personal reasons and we plan to take necessary steps so as to help them evacuate as soon as they can," the official said.
The official added that the government could file a criminal complaint against those remaining there.
HJ/PR
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