A South Korean university has rescinded an invitation for three Nigerians to attend a conference while a group of South Korean medical volunteers called off a trip to West Africa amid growing concerns about the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.
According to Reuters, the Duksung Women’s University in Seoul said in a statement the school “politely withdrew” its invitation for three Nigerian students to attend an international conference that it is co-hosting with the United Nations starting from Monday.
Fear about a possible spread of the deadly virus had prompted a student from the university to post a
plea on the country’s presidential office Web site, asking for the cancellation of the entire event. The university has said it was going ahead with the conference to be attended by students, including 28 from Africa.
South Korea on Monday issued a special travel advisory asking people to refrain from visiting Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, while a group of South Korean medical volunteer workers scrapped an annual trip to African countries including Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana scheduled for August.
South Korean bloggers have also posted online petitions, including one urging South Korean missionaries working in the region be barred from returning home.