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| ▲ South Korean nationals and officials of the South Korean Embassy in Iran prepare to leave Tehran in an evacuation operation following U.S.-Israeli strikes, on March 2, 2026, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ South Koreans board a chartered bus at an unspecified location in Iran on March 2, 2026, as they are evacuated from the country following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) S Koreans-Iran evacuation
(LEAD) 23 S. Koreans flee Iran as U.S.-Israeli strikes widen
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead and throughout with updated info; CHANGES photos)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- Twenty-three South Koreans have been evacuated from Iran by land amid the escalating conflict following U.S. and Israeli military strikes, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
The individuals left Tehran early Monday (local time) aboard two chartered buses arranged by the South Korean Embassy in Iran and safely crossed the eastern land border into Turkmenistan on Tuesday, the ministry said.
All have passed through border checkpoints and are now on their way to Ashgabat. They are expected to return home or depart for a third destination Wednesday.
The evacuation came after the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran are escalating into a wider regional conflict, with neighboring countries like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon joining the fray alongside their respective allies.
Among those evacuated were South Korean coach Lee Do-hee for the Iranian women's national team and Lee Ki-je, a South Korean defender playing for Iran's Mes Rafsanjan FC.
Others included embassy officials and their families, as well as ethnic Koreans holding other nationalities and a few Iranians related to Korean nationals.
With the evacuation, around 40 other South Koreans currently remain in Iran.
A ministry official said the government is not considering pulling out embassy personnel at this stage.
"We will need to see whether the situation will prolong and take responsibility for evacuating our citizens until the end. These are the top priorities," the official said.
A government rapid response team has been dispatched to Turkmenistan to provide support for the evacuees.
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