As the Middle East grew rapidly unstable after the death of Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on the 1st ordered that a rapid response team be dispatched immediately if the situation worsens and that plans be prepared in advance to transport Koreans overseas. He also called for emergency measures to brace for energy supply and financial market volatility and for a crackdown on fake news.
Presiding over an emergency interagency meeting to review the Middle East situation at Government Complex Seoul the same day, Kim said the uncertainty is extremely high in both international affairs and the economy and urged an all-out response to protect national security and stabilize the public's livelihood.
He said the international economy will inevitably be affected as Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz and ordered that the lives and safety of Koreans be secured as the top priority. He told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to conduct a full review of the whereabouts and personal safety of Koreans staying in Iran and neighboring countries and to be ready to respond immediately to any change in the situation.
In particular, he emphasized, if the situation worsens, a rapid response team must be dispatched immediately, and transport plans must be prepared in advance so that Koreans staying on the ground can return home safely.
He also called for strengthening military and security readiness. He said the foreign and security crisis response system should run around the clock and that a system should be maintained to intensively analyze related information. He also ordered that situation assessment meetings to evaluate and share security and military risk factors be made routine.
On the economy, citing the structure in which 70% of crude oil and 30% of natural gas are imported from the Middle East, he ordered the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to inspect risks to key energy supplies such as crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and to logistics, and to prepare measures to secure supplies in case of emergency.
He told the Ministry of Planning and Budget and the Financial Services Commission to immediately activate monitoring systems for oil prices, exchange rates and the stock market, and to proactively review market stabilization steps and financial policy tools.
Kim said there should be no excessive anxiety or agitation and asked that regular briefings be considered to provide accurate information. He also warned of the potential spread of fake news taking advantage of the crisis and asked prosecutors and the Korean National Police Agency to carry out thorough crackdowns and maintain public order.
Kim said that until the president returns from an overseas trip, he will hold a comprehensive emergency review meeting chaired by the prime minister every evening to assess the situation.
Attending the meeting were the Ministry of Planning and Budget, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Financial Services Commission, and the planning office, as well as the prosecution, the Korean National Police Agency and the National Intelligence Service. From the presidential office, the second deputy director of the Office of National Security and the director of the National Situation Room were also present.
Earlier, President Lee Jae-myung, before departing on trips to Singapore and the Philippines, had ordered that an emergency response posture be maintained with Kim at the center.