Koreans are anticipating a second construction boom in the Middle East, but their optimism is waning.

As Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is rumored to be missing his scheduled visit to Korea next month, fresh worries have arisen concerning the dangers of Middle Eastern construction projects.

On Monday, a local media outlet cited diplomatic sources to indicate that the de facto leader of a Middle Eastern country had chosen to travel Japan alone after attending the two-day APEC conference in Bangkok on November 18-1....