South Korea has temporarily closed its embassy and withdrawn its staff from the Libyan capital of Tripoli amid escalating violence between rival governments, the Korean Foreign Ministry said Friday.
Due to “drastically worsening security conditions,” the ministry moved all embassy personnel, including Ambassador Choi Sung-soo, to Tunisia, the embassy told reporters.
However, it plans to continue diplomatic assistance for the protection of the citizens still in the country and businesspeople operating there.
The Korean move brings to mind the consecutive withdrawals of many foreign companies and embassies from Libya after the outbreak of a similar fighting in the capital Tripoli in 2014 between rival militias. Some embassies in Libya are still temporarily operating from neighboring Tunisia.
On April 4, the Libyan National Army (LNA) announced the launch of an offensive against Tripoli. So, all military units loyal to the Government of National Accord geared up to defend the capital. The warring factions are currently involved in battles along the outskirts of Tripoli.
