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| ▲ Park Il, foreign ministry spokesperson, speaks during a regular press briefing at the ministry headquarters in Seoul on March 5, 2026. (Yonhap) |
S Korea-Middle East evacuation
S. Korea continues to evacuate citizens from Middle East amid conflict
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, March 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is continuing to evacuate its citizens from the Middle East after about 140 nationals were brought to safety in earlier operations, the foreign ministry said Thursday, as U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran escalate into a wider regional conflict.
Thirteen South Koreans in Kuwait plan to travel to Saudi Arabia via a land route aboard a chartered bus arranged by the South Korean Embassy, the ministry said.
Among them are a family with an expectant mother and her one-year-old child.
Four more South Koreans in Israel will depart for Egypt, after 66 people were evacuated from the country in a previous operation.
The South Korean Embassy in Iran helped one individual safely travel to Turkmenistan on Wednesday, putting the total number of evacuees at 25.
Three others from Bahrain also arrived in Saudi Arabia, a day after 10 people were evacuated.
Another three from Iraq will travel to Turkey.
The foreign ministry also said it is dispatching a joint government rapid response team with the National Policy Agency to Dubai and Oman to assist with evacuation operations.
The government is actively considering sending a chartered plane to the region, including the United Arab Emirates, where more than 2,000 South Korean short-term travelers remain stranded due to flight disruptions.
Executing such a plan, however, will depend on the flight situation in the affected countries and how long the conflict lasts, among other logistical considerations, according to sources familiar with the matter.
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