By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
The South Korean government was set to discuss the safety of its citizens in war-torn Libya on Monday afternoon -- after gunmen fired at the country's embassy in Tripoli during the early hours of Sunday morning.
All three South Korean nationals based at the compound at the time of the shooting escaped unhurt, but two guards were killed and another was injured in the attack.
Seoul is yet to announce whether it feels the embassy itself was especially targeted -- and if so, by whom.
A group claiming to be affiliated to Daesh militants quickly claimed responsibility via social media.
If that were the case, it would represent the first time that a South Korean embassy in the Middle East has been attacked by the group.
A possible motivation could be Seoul's close military relationship with the United States, which has previously been targeted in Libya.
"The government plans to hold a meeting of relevant authorities in the afternoon today to discuss security measures for the around 30 South Korean nationals staying in Libya," a Seoul official said Monday, as quoted by local news agency Yonhap.
One option being considered is for embassy staff to be transferred to Tunisia.
South Korean ambassador Lee Jong-kook had been visiting Tunisia at the time of the attack. Embassy staff have been rotated between the two countries since July amid deepening political unrest in Libya.
Libya is among six countries which Seoul has imposed a travel ban on, including Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Afghanistan.
