As Iran moved to retaliate after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, the foreign ministry asked Korean nationals staying in the Middle East to "remain in a safe indoor location."
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others on the 4th, the embassies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar have been continuously notifying Korean residents and travelers to stay in a safe indoor location and, if possible, keep away from windows. This is because there is a risk of injury from debris after drones and missiles from Iran are intercepted.
In particular, they advised avoiding, as much as possible, areas near potential targets such as U.S. military bases, facilities related to the United States and Israel, major airports, and buildings with significant religious symbolism.
They also asked people to refrain from traveling overland individually. As passenger flights at major Middle Eastern airports are being canceled one after another, some are seeking to move to neighboring countries, but embassies said unexpected developments such as border closures could occur.
The embassies announced that people should check information on officially organized overland movements through local contact networks.
There are about 20,000 Korean nationals currently staying in 13 Middle Eastern countries. More than 4,000 short-term visitors, including travelers, are concentrated in Dubai in the UAE and in Qatar.
The government is reviewing deploying charter flights through contracts with private airlines. It is also considering mobilizing military transport planes.