South Korean ambassador arrives in Egypt

SINAI, Egypt, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- South Korea's ambassador to Egypt arrived in Sinai Saturday after reports of three South Koreans kidnapped in the area.

Two South Korean tourists and one tour guide were captured on Friday. The Egyptian authorities notified the ambassador, and are working on securing their release, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Officials called for an emergency meeting in South Korea Saturday to discuss measures to protect Korean nationals abroad from future incidents. The ministry said it is considering raising the alert level regarding travel to Egypt from a level two to a level three. A level four is a full ban.

The Sinai region has become more dangerous in the past year, with clashes between tribesmen, Islamist militants, and security forces, Egypt Independent reported.

Tribesmen will sometimes kidnap tourists to leverage negotiations with the government; however, their captives are rarely harmed.

Two American women were kidnapped in the Sinai region last week, and released in short order. The women claimed they were treated well and given tea and dried fruit.