South Korea issued an advisory for its citizens traveling to Palestine, citing political unrest in the region. The warning by the National Intelligence Service, and published by the Yonhap news agency, came after a South Korean journalist was released Thursday after being held hostage by Palestinian militants for 24 hours in the Gaza Strip.

“Although the reporter was freed unharmed, the Palestine area is still dangerous, especially ahead of the inauguration of a Hamas-led government in April,” the agency said.

The 41-year-old KBS-TV reporter was kidnapped Tuesday from a hotel in the northern beach area of the Gaza Strip by a group of gunmen believed to be linked with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Despite Seoul’s warning against a trip to the area, he was there to cover the militant Islamic group Hamas following its election win in January.
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