Indonesians in North Korea Have yet to be Evacuated

Jakarta (Antara) - Some Indonesian nationals in North Korea have yet to be evacuated, although the tension between the two Koreans is escalating, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa. "There are 21 Indonesians in North Korea and we will continue to monitor their condition there," the minister said here on Wednesday. He said Indonesia hoped the tension between North Korea and South Korea would soon come to an end through a peaceful communication and to shut any gaps that could potentially lead to a conflict. "All parties should exercise self restraint and give way for a dialog," Marty said, adding that the tension in North Korea was also discussed during the second annual "2+2" dialog with Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Defense Minister Stephen Smith. The minister noted that during the dialog, Indonesia and Australia discussed comprehensively the implication of the tension between the two Koreans and concluded that there should be a peaceful solution through dialog and communication. Marty said the issue would likely be discussed in ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), but beforehand Indonesia would optimize the role of ARF to more actively discuss global matters. Tension between the two Koreans escalated after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered his missile units to be ready to strike if Seoul and Washington continue to provoke it with military drills. North Korea also said over the weekend that it could completely close the Kaesong Industrial Park, home to 123 South Korean companies, if South Korea and the United States continued the military drills. But South Korea is believed to have a plan to rescue its workers from Kaesong if they were detained or harmed. Pyongyang said it will move to restart the operation of its nuclear reactor which is feared to produce weapons of mass destruction. (*)