On Monday, May 25, North Korea indicated that it had conducted an underground nuclear test that morning. The U.S. Embassy in Seoul is monitoring the situation closely and has been in continuous contact with South Korean government officials. The Embassy has received no information from South Korean officials or any other source indicating that there are health dangers that pose a risk to any areas in South Korea.

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul continues to operate normally and to provide services to the public during regular business hours. In the event of any type of emergency, the Embassy will notify the American community immediately.

As a standing policy, the Embassy urges Americans residing anywhere overseas to always be prepared for the possibility of an emergency. Hundreds of expatriate Americans each year are forced by personal emergencies (for example, death or illness in the family) to return to the United States on short notice. Advice for emergency preparedness is available on the State Department’s website at http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1212.html.

If you did not receive this message directly via the U.S. Embassy’s warden email system, we encourage you to subscribe to our warden messages concerning travel and security, as well as the monthly Embassy newsletter, simply by providing us your email address via the Embassy’s website at http://www.asktheconsul.org.

Americans living or traveling in South Korea are also encouraged to register with the Embassy through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/. Americans without internet access may register in person at the U.S. Embassy. Registration is a voluntary way of telling us that you, as an American citizen, are in Korea, whether for a long-term stay or for a short visit. In the event of an emergency, we use registration information to communicate with you. This could include a family emergency in which relatives in the United States request that the Embassy contact you.

For the latest security information worldwide, Americans should regularly monitor the State Department’s website at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the Unites States, or, for callers from outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).