South Korea's foreign ministry urged all parties involved to make utmost efforts to ease regional tensions on Saturday after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes. The ministry is taking necessary precautions for the safety of South Koreans in Iran and reported no injuries or casualties among nationals in Iran and Israel. Seoul is closely monitoring the situation.
The United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, including strikes near the offices of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. U.S. President Donald Trump stated on social media that the U.S. had begun "major combat operations in Iran," accusing Iran of pursuing a nuclear program and developing missiles capable of reaching the U.S.
Israeli officials said Iran launched retaliatory strikes.
"The government calls on all parties involved to make utmost efforts to ease tensions in the region," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Seoul is closely monitoring the situation related to Iran while taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of South Koreans residing in Iran. The ministry later said no injuries or casualties had been reported among South Korean nationals in Iran and Israel as of Saturday evening.
Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina presided over a meeting to review the situation, attended by representatives from embassies in the U.S., Iran, Israel, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait and Turkmenistan. Kim noted the "rapidly escalating tension" in the Middle East and called for close coordination between the ministry and relevant embassies to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals in the region.
Touching upon the far-reaching impact of the situation, Kim urged embassies in countries near Iran and Israel to remain in close contact with one another to ensure "organic responses" to contingencies.
South Korean embassies in Iran and Israel both responded that they have sent security notices to South Korean residents in their respective countries and were taking measures to ensure their safety. Additionally, the embassy in Israel said it will allow South Korean nationals to evacuate to Cairo by land on Sunday if they wish to do so, gathering people in Jerusalem and Herzliya for the evacuation.
