Korea to widen travel ban in DR Congo to 3 provinces over Ebola outbreak

The foreign ministry said Friday it will widen a travel ban in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to three provinces in the country amid the spread of Ebola virus disease.

Effective 2 p.m. Friday, Korea will issue a Level 4 travel alert, the highest level in its four-tier travel alert system, for Ituri Province in the African country due to the continued rise in deaths linked to the virus, according to the ministry.

With the latest measure, the number of no-travel zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo will expand to three provinces — Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.

Korean nationals who visit or stay in those areas without exceptional passport-use authorization may face punishment under the passport law, it added.

In addition, the ministry has issued a Level 3 alert recommending departure from areas within 50 kilometers of the border with the Central African Republic, as well as seven other provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele.

A special travel advisory remains in place for the rest of the African nation, it added.

On Thursday, the m