More than 6,300 Koreans left 14 Middle Eastern countries over the past week.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the 10th that it held a meeting of the Headquarters for the Protection of Overseas Koreans with the participation of 14 missions in the Middle East.
The meeting, presided over by Vice Minister Kim Jin-a, was held to review the situation of Koreans staying in the region in connection with the Middle East conflict.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of Koreans staying in 14 Middle Eastern countries fell from about 21,000 as of the 3rd to about 14,700 on the 9th. During the same period, short-term stays decreased from about 4,100 to about 2,100.
Support for evacuating Korean residents in the Middle East is also continuing. The embassy in Iraq on the 9th asked the Iraqi government and border checkpoints for cooperation and helped 17 people, including Koreans staying locally and one foreign national who is an employee of Korean corporations, to depart for Kuwait. It also plans to support 12 Koreans who will evacuate to Kuwait and Türkiye.
The embassy in Kuwait also dispatched mission staff to the border between the two countries on the 9th to assist with entry procedures and interpretation for 17 people who entered Kuwait from Iraq.
Vice Minister Kim said, "The second evacuation of nationals staying in Iran and Israel, which will take place soon, must proceed without a hitch through close communication and cooperation among missions."
In response, the missions said they will support the safe evacuation and withdrawal of nationals while thoroughly ensuring the safety of Koreans.