SEOUL—Four South Koreans were killed in Yemen in what authorities are saying was an al-Qaida related suicide bombing. Two men and two women, part of a tour group visiting the Arab nation, were killed alongside their Yemeni driver. According to reports, the attacker was an 18-year-old boy who posed with the group for photos before detonating the expolosives.

The attack took place in the ancient city of Shibam, about 90 km east of the capital Sanna and one-time home of al-Qaida leader Osama bin-Laden. South Korean officials say they have not determined whether the attacker targeted the South Koreans specifically or foreigners in general, though a Yemeni diplomat told the Korea Herald that Yemen itself was the target. “Please remember that South Koreans were not the target. It was Yemen that was the target.”

Yemen has seen a string of attacks in recent years targeting foreigners and is known to have a strong militant presence. While Seoul has refrained from imposing a travel ban on the region, saying it could harm bi-lateral relations, it has issued a “travel restriction” on the region and is strongly urging its citizens not to venture there. South Korea is a major donor of food and economic aid to Yemen, the poorest state in the region, and is also involved in oil projects there.

One editorial questioned why the government here had not done more to inform citizens on the dangers of traveling to the region. A friend and editor with a local news wire put it more bluntly. “What the hell were they doing there?”

The city of Shibam is a known tourist destination, a “Manhattan of the desert” famed for its distinct architecture. An ancient capital dating from the 2nd century AD and a UNESCO cultural heritage site, there are obvious reasons to visit. But given a spate of attacks in Yemen against foreigners, and the killing of two Koreans in Afghanistan in 2007, one does have to wonder whether the inherent dangers of traveling there crossed the group’s mind.

My first thought when hearing of the attacks was whether there would be reprisals here targeting the small Muslim community, which is already alienated from mainstream society by cultural and racial prejudices. Likely there wont be anything of the sort seen in the West, but the attacks will surely bolster existing steretypes here.

At lunch recently with some colleagues, which included an elderly man from Sudan, the conversation somehow went from Arab script to fundamentalism and terrorism. An awkward smile broke on his face as he tried to laugh off the ignorant and offensive statements being made.

Which again gets back to the question: what were they doing there? Despite such attitudes here, for those who can afford it travel to areas somewhat off the beaten path is common. I’ve met countless people who’ve returned from Madagascar, Iraq, Yemen. They see these regions of the world as accessible, not hostile or threatening. Different, yes, but intriguing and worth visiting.

Hopefully, that does not change.