PM says top priority on S. Koreans' safety amid Middle East crisis

▲ Prime Minister Kim Min-seok speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Seoul on March 3, 2026. (Yonhap)

PM-Cabinet meeting

PM says top priority on S. Koreans' safety amid Middle East crisis

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Tuesday the government is responding all-out to the Middle East crisis with top priority on South Koreans' safety.

Kim made the remark during a Cabinet meeting, as the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran over the weekend prompted military responses from countries across the region.

"The situation in the Middle East is very fluid," the prime minister said, noting that President Lee Jae Myung was away on state visits to Singapore and the Philippines.

"The government is responding by fully mobilizing its capabilities across agencies with the people's safety and protection of overseas nationals as our top priority."

Kim instructed the foreign ministry and other relevant agencies to promptly and transparently share information regarding the crisis so that the people "do not feel overly anxious."

He also asked the nation to trust the government's response and carry on with their everyday lives.

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