The government has advised South Koreans residing within 80 kilometers of the Fukushima nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan to evacuate the area amid rising fears of a severe radiation leakage.

The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Friday that although no South Koreans are believed to be living within 80 kilometers of the nuclear power plant, the government decided to issue the advisory given that some two-thousand Koreans are reportedly residing in Fukushima.

The United States and Britain have issued the same advisories for their nationals.

The government is also considering raising its travel advisory for Japan should the nuclear situation worsen.

Seoul, however, remains cautious about advising South Korean citizens in Japan to evacuate.

The government has no plans to pull out its diplomats in Japan or shut down diplomatic missions as long as South Koreans remain in Japan.