The number of South Koreans remaining in Libya has been reduced to 60 as three construction workers and a resident left the turmoil-laden country by land to Tunisia, the foreign ministry said Sunday.

   The 60 is comprised of 29 in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, 16 in the eastern city of Benghazi and 15 officials at the South Korean Embassy in Tripoli.

   South Korea on Tuesday refused to allow 14 citizens, including the resident who fled to Tunisia on Friday, to stay in Libya out of fear that their safety could be jeopardized should the situation there worsen.

   The decision came at an inter-agency meeting that the government convened to determine whether to allow those in Libya to continue to stay there after the government placed a travel ban on the country earlier this month.

   The ministry urged the 13 other citizens in Libya to flee the country as soon as possible, saying one of the overland evacuation routes from the country could be blocked in the near future.

   Violation of the travel ban carries up to a one-year prison sentence or 3 million won ($2,700) in fines.

(Yonhap News)