'Coup' Gabon Korean Residents All Safe... Government Issues Special Travel Advisory

Special Travel Advisory Issued for Gabon on the 31st

The total number of Koreans staying in Gabon, Africa, where a military coup occurred, is confirmed to be 44, all of whom are safe. This includes embassy staff and their families. The safety of these individuals has been confirmed by the Korean Embassy in Gabon.

Considering the unstable situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a special travel advisory for Gabon on the 31st. The special travel advisory is issued separately from the government's four-level travel alert system?consisting of caution, restraint, departure recommendation, and travel ban?and is applied for up to 90 days in response to urgent short-term risks.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested that citizens planning to travel to Gabon during the special travel advisory period cancel or postpone their trips, and those currently staying in Gabon should leave for safe areas unless for urgent matters.

On the 30th (local time), after the military staged a coup in Gabon, Africa, soldiers in the capital Libreville cheered Brigadier General Brice Oligui Nguema, commander of the Republican Guard.

Some military forces in Gabon rejected the results of the presidential election held on the 26th (local time) and staged a coup on the 30th. They subsequently established a reconstruction committee and appointed General Brice Oligui Nguema, who has led the Republican Guard, as the chairman of the committee.

After the coup, a nighttime curfew was imposed in Gabon and borders were closed. There were also uprisings by some citizens within the capital, Libreville. Communication facilities such as telephone and internet have been restored. Although the fighting has ended, the military is reportedly firing warning shots to prevent citizens from going outside. Currently, the nighttime curfew and border closures remain in effect.