1. A shootout occurred between pro-government forces of the Philippines and the Islamic State-linked Maute Group in Marawi City, the Philippine province of Lanao del Sur, on May 23, leaving three soldiers and police officers dead and another twelve injured.

2. President Duterte of the Philippines, citing the possibility of similar incidents occurring in other areas in Mindanao, declared a 60-day martial law throughout Mindanao, effective from 10:00 pm, May 23.

3. Judging that public insecurity could continue in Mindanao for some time, the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Korea has decided to issue a 60-day special travel advisory for the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Davao in an effort to better protect the ROK nationals there.

° The other parts of Mindanao are already under a special travel alert.

° The special travel advisory is tantamount to the travel-alert level of “Red Alert (Travel Restricted),” which calls for cancelling or postponing if possible the plan to visit the designated area(s), or leaving the area(s) unless there are urgent matters to attend to.

* Travel advisories for different parts of the Philippines
- Blue Alert (Precautious): Subic, Boracay/Bohol and Mactan (Lapu-Lapu)
- Yellow Alert (Highly Cautious): Regions under neither Blue nor Red Alert
- Red Alert (Travel Restricted): Region south of Puerto Princesa, Palawan
- Special travel alert: Island of Mindanao (except for Davao and Cagayan de Oro), Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi

4. The Foreign Ministry will continue monitoring the public security situation in Mindanao, the Philippines, and mull over whether the special travel advisory should remain in place.

* unofficial translation