South Korea accused of targeting missions work in Islamic nations

Missionaries from South Korea believe they are the target of new regulations that would revoke passports from those who commit illegal activities abroad.

The South Korean government has stepped up changes to its passport rules following complaints from foreign governments of lawbreakers and amid increased activities to spread the gospel in the Middle East.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has tried to limit missionary activities in dangerous places, especially in Islamic nations after highly publicized kidnappings and killings.

In 2007, the Taliban abducted 23 Korean Christian voluntary workers, and two of them were killed by kidnappers. And in 2004, a young Christian missionary was kidnapped and killed by an Islamic terrorist group in Iraq.

Under the ministry's proposed regulations, those responsible for "damaging national prestige" overseas will be subject to passport restrictions. South Koreans living or working abroad found to be breaking the local law will be denied a passport for one to three years depending on the gravity of the offense, ministry officials said.

Christian groups see the move as an attempt to curb missionary activities in the Middle East, where Islamic law is enforced and preaching the gospel can be considered a crime.