The South Korean warship sent to Libya from Somali waters to help evacuate South Koreans from the strife-torn nation is expected to arrive Wednesday at the port of Benghazi, an official said.

The 4,500-ton destroyer Choi Young, capable of accommodating about 100 people in addition to its 300 crew members, was ordered last week to head to Libya where conflicts between anti-government forces and ruler Moammar Gadhafi are intensifying.

"Because the situation with Libya is not normal, it remains uncertain whether a permit to dock will be issued," Yoo Sung-sik, a spokesman for the South Korean Prime Minister's Office, said Tuesday, adding boats will be used to ferry people in such a case.

The foreign ministry in Seoul said 388 South Korean nationals were staying in Libya as of Tuesday -- 323 in the capital, Tripoli, and the central western part of Libya, and 65 in Benghazi and the eastern part of the country. The ministry said 54 people moved to Tunisia by land on Monday from the central western part of Libya, while 19 others from eastern Libya left for Egypt.

"We've recommended to remaining South Koreans that they leave the area," a ministry official said. "We're considering flying more chartered planes and also raising the travel alert on Libya (from the current travel restriction to a travel ban)."

Thousands of South Koreans have evacuated from Libya by air, sea or land since the conflict began in the country, where South Korea has great stakes in construction and oil businesses.

The Choi Young operates in the waters off Somalia mainly, protecting ships from pirates as part of a multinational campaign led by the United States.

(Yonhap News)