The foreign ministry said Friday it has extended its travel restrictions on Yemen, citing security instability and terrorist threats.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided in an emigration review committee to prolong its travel ban on Yemen by six months until the end of February next year, according to a statement on its website.

South Korea currently holds travel restrictions on four other Middle Eastern and African countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia.

In the same committee, the ministry also decided to simplify the process to give exemption from the travel restrictions for long-time residents of the banned countries.

For those who stayed in the restricted countries for one year or more without record of breaking security protocols, the ministry will simplify the process to give permission to remain there, the statement said.

High threats of terrorism and kidnapping are being reported in Yemen, a base for the militant Al-Qaeda Islamist organization.

(Yonhap News)