[US-Iran War] "17,000 Koreans in Middle East Under Attack, No Casualties Reported So Far"

Jina Kim, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on March 2nd, "There are currently approximately 17,000 Korean nationals staying in about 10 Middle Eastern countries that are now under attack," adding, "As of now, we are not aware of any Korean casualties."

Jina Kim, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is briefing after concluding the "Emergency Interdepartmental Meeting on Middle East Situation Assessment" at the Joint Briefing Room of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Deputy Minister Kim made these remarks at a joint briefing following the "Emergency Interdepartmental Meeting on Middle East Situation Assessment," which was chaired by Prime Minister Minseok Kim and held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the same day. She explained, "The figure of about 17,000 refers mainly to long-term residents, and the actual number may be higher, as there could also be short-term tourists or transit passengers."

She also stated, "Since the current situation is affecting not only Iran and Israel but the entire Middle East region, we will develop measures to support the swift return of other Korean nationals residing in the region, including short-term residents."

She went on to say, "We are doing our utmost to ensure the safety of our nationals and to assist with their safe return, taking into account both the possibility that the situation will be prolonged and the likelihood of continued instability."

The United States and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28, and Iran has since continued its attacks not only against Israel but also against countries in the region that host U.S. military bases.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.