'Full-scale war in Korean peninsula unlikely'

by Manjula Fernando

The Sri Lankan Ambassador in Seoul said if a limited military clash occurs near the Northern borders of South Korea there is a chance of 10 percent of Sri Lankans being affected.

Ninety percent of the 25,000 Sri Lankans are employed in the southern region of the country and are away from harm, he said in an email interview with the Sunday Observer yesterday.

"Any evacuation for the majority of Sri Lankans would arise only if full scale war breaks out."

Although the possibility of an all out war is almost zero, Ambassador Tissa Wijeratne said the Embassy has made contingency plans to be followed during an emergency evacuation.

"Welfare centres, evacuation exit points, liaison officers have already been identified. In case of communication failures, satellite phones and special radio frequencies will be used," he said.

In any unexpected emergency situation, the Korean Government will issue a Civil Defence Drill Warning which is a preliminary warning to the public to be alert for an emergency situation. Additionally, the Korean Government has set up special civil defence centres to be operated in any emergency situation at identified locations in the country.

The Ambassador said according to the assessment from the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs with whom the Mission continues to have interaction about the safety of Sri Lankans, there is no threat of military attack from North Korea.

"The public in this country are used to living with tensions of this nature and do not expect full scale war to ensue," he said.