We’ll help Aussies in Korean firing line, says Julie Bishop

Julie Bishop has revealed there are ‘contingency plans’ in place to protect Australian citizens in South Korea.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. Picture: AAP

Julie Bishop has revealed there are “contingency plans” in place to protect Australian citizens in South Korea after Japanese officials said they were looking at evacuation arrangements.

The revelation and a government move to update travel ­advice to South Korea and Japan came after Malcolm Turnbull and Donald Trump agreed to ­intensify joint efforts to denuclearise North Korea in a telephone call yesterday.

Ms Bishop said at any one time there were more than 200,000 Australians living in or visiting South Korea, Japan and China. “Our embassies in Seoul and Tokyo have comprehensive contingency plans in place should there be any crisis or conflict,” she said. “We have plans in place with our partners and allies should any contingency arise.”

Tokyo was yesterday reported to be planning a mass evacuation of nearly 60,000 of its citizens from the South in the event of a military strike on the North.

Japanese officials said if the US opted for a military solution to the crisis, Japan would act ­“regardless of whether the ­American plans are public”.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said in comments added to its Smartraveller websites that “further provocations by the DPRK or reactions by other countries cannot be ruled out” and “tensions on the Korean peninsula could escalate with little warning”.

With South Korea considering the redeoplyment of US tactical nuclear weapons, Ms Bishop also advised Australians against travelling to North Korea as tourists.

Despite the death of US student Otto Warmbier following his imprisonment by the regime, Australians continue to travel to the pariah state on tightly controlled tours and even lead the tours as guides. Australian Ben Johnson is a guide with Young ­Pioneers Tours which ferries groups from China.

Mr Turnbull and Mr Trump yesterday agreed to further pressure China to punish Pyongyang over its increased tempo of missile tests and its most recent nuclear test. “We will both continue to encourage China to bring more economic pressure to bear on North Korea to bring this regime to its senses,” Mr Turnbull said.

The US will be circulating an additional UN Security Council resolution next week, and Ms Bishop suggested she was hopeful China could support further measures to rein in the regime and that the measures could ­include a hit to North Korean ­energy supplies.

“All the permanent five are considering what additional economic pressure can be brought to bear,” she said. “So far (sanctions are) targeting coal, lead, iron ore, seafood; so there are many other sectors of the economy, there are other financial institutions, there of course is energy security which has been discussed on a number of occasions in relation to oil.”

South Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo suggested the country was looking at setting up a special warfare unit by December capable of eliminating the Pyongyang leadership.

But South Korean diplomats are concerned about the increasingly tough military rhetoric out of the Trump administration considering the catastrophic consequences of any war on the Korean peninsula.

South Korea’s Second Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told a forum in Washington that any call for all options to be on the table could risk miscalculation.

“I understand the need to stress that all options are on the table … But we should be careful that this does not translate into an escalation of war or cause miscalculation of North Korea,” he said.

The conversation between Mr Trump and Mr Turnbull was the third between the two leaders since Mr Trump became President. The first conversation, in February, saw Mr Trump become agitated with Mr Turnbull over the refugee deal.

A transcript of that conversation was later leaked, revealing just how angry the President ­became. But any bumps in the relationship were said to have been rectified by a meeting between the two in New York in May to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the discussion between the leaders was “warm and constructive” and that it was “dominated by North Korea”.

The two leaders also spoke about the Islamic State threat in the southern Philippines.

The White House said last night Mr Trump reaffirmed his commitment to defending the homeland, territories and allies using all available diplomatic and military capabilities.