South Korea said Thursday it has ordered its anti-piracy naval unit stationed in Somali waters to sail toward Libya in case its plan to evacuate its nationals out of the troubled African country goes awry.
The dispatch of the 4,500-ton destroyer Choi Young comes as anti-government protests intensify in Libya where leader Moammar Gadhafi is reportedly mobilizing armed units to strike those who oppose him.
Destroyer Choi Young (Yonhap News)
About 1,400 South Koreans were in Libya -- about 1,050 of them in and around Tripoli and some 340 others in and around the eastern port city of Benghazi, according to the foreign ministry here.
"The Choi Young left from the Gulf of Aden for Libya on Thursday afternoon (Korean time)," a defense ministry official said, expecting the warship to approach Libya in early March.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the destroyer, which carries about 300 troops and is capable of accommodating 100 more, is being sent as part of a backup plan.
Earlier in the day, a foreign ministry official here said Seoul has chartered a flight to bring hundreds of South Korean nationals out of Libya as a growing number of them seek to flee the unrest.
South Korea is advising those near Benghazi to move to nearby Egypt by land or by ship because it is too dangerous to travel from Benghazi to Tripoli by air, the official said.
About 50 South Koreans in the Benghazi region are scheduled to travel out of Libya aboard a Turkish ship, the foreign ministry official said.
Earlier Thursday, President Lee Myung-bak ordered the government to ensure the safety of South Koreans in Libya.
"(The government) should use every possible means to protect our people and workers at companies operating there," Lee said at an emergency meeting with his economic and diplomatic teams, according to his spokeswoman, Kim Hee-jung.
Officials also said a South Korea-chartered flight will bring hundreds of the country's nationals out of Libya on Thursday as a growing number of people seek to flee escalating anti-government unrest in the African nation.
The Egypt Airlines flight is scheduled to arrive at the airport in the Libyan capital of Tripoli at 9:35 a.m. (4:35 p.m. Korean time). The Airbus 330, which can carry up to 260 people, is expected to go to Cairo with a near full capacity of passengers, the foreign ministry official said.
An additional charter flight will be sent if needed, he said.
About 1,400 South Koreans were in Libya -- about 1,050 of them in and around Tripoli and some 340 others in and around the eastern port city of Benghazi.
The charter flight will be used to evacuate those near Tripoli, and the government is advising those near Benghazi to move to nearby Egypt by land or by ship because it is too dangerous to travel from Benghazi to Tripoli to take flights.
Of those in the Benghazi region, 45 South Korean and 1,600 Bangladesh construction workers left for Egypt by land. Among that group, 39 South Korean and 500 Bangladesh workers have already arrived in Egypt while the others are expected to get there later Thursday, the official said.
About 50 South Koreans in the Benghazi region are scheduled to travel out of Libya aboard a Turkish ship, he said.
South Korean ambassador to Libya Jo Dae-sik is expected to fly to Tripoli from Tunisia later Thursday. The envoy had been in Seoul for an annual conference of South Korean diplomatic mission chiefs but cut short his schedule and returned to the region to oversee safety measures.
On Thursday, President Lee Myung-bak ordered the government to ensure the safety of South Koreans in Libya.
"(The government) should use every possible means to protect our people and workers at companies operating there," Lee said at an emergency meeting with his economic and diplomatic teams, according to his spokeswoman, Kim Hee-jung. (Yonhap News)
국방부, 청해부대 최영함 리비아 급파(종합)
국방부는 24일 리비아에 거주하고 있는 우리 교 민 철수를 지원하기 위해 아덴만에서 임무 수행 중인 청해부대 최영함(4천500t급)을 현지에 급파했다고 밝혔다.
이는 최근 악화하고 있는 리비아 등 아프리카ㆍ중동 사태와 관련해 가능한 한 모든 수단을 동원해 우리 교민을 안전하게 철수시키겠다는 정부 방침에 따른 것이라 고 국방부는 설명했다.
해외 교민 철수를 지원하기 위해 우리 군함이 현지에 파견되는 것은 이번이 처음이다.
국방부 관계자는 이날 "최영함은 우리 시각으로 오늘 오후 아덴만 해역에서 리 비아를 향해 출발했다"며 "최영함은 3월 첫째 주에 리비아 북부에 도착할 예정"이라 고 말했다.
이 관계자는 "최영함은 전세 항공기 등을 통한 교민 철수 계획이 제한될 경우에 대비해 파견하는 것"이라며 "항공기로 충분히 철수가 되면 중간에 회항할 수도 있다 "고 덧붙였다.
최영함은 길이 150ｍ, 폭 17.4ｍ, 높이 40ｍ, 탑승인원 300명에 최대 30노트의 속도를 낼 수 있으며 항속거리는 1만200km에 달한다.
5인치 주포 1문과 근접방어 무기체계인 골키퍼, 대함.대공 유도탄, 어뢰 등으로 무장한 이 함정은 대함, 대공, 대잠, 대지, 전자전 수행이 가능하다.
군 관계자는 "최영함은 승조원을 포함해 최대 1천명까지 태울 수 있다"면서 "일 단 항공기로 철수시킨 뒤 남은 우리 교민이 이동이 어려울 경우 리비아 북부의 한 항구도시를 통해 수송하게 될 것"이라고 말했다.
이날 오후 현재 리비아 현지에는 1천300여명의 우리 교민이 남아 있는 것으로 알려졌다. (연합뉴스)
