Korea evacuates citizens from Niger after coup

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Korea evacuates citizens from Niger after coup

Published: 05 Aug. 2023, 11:07 Updated: 06 Aug. 2023, 17:38

In this photo provided by the Spanish Defense Ministry, civilian residents living who were living in Niger disembark from a Spanish airforce plane at the Torreon air base on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain, on Friday. [AP/YONHAP]

Two additional Koreans have been evacuated out of Niger, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul on Saturday.

"Two Koreans residing in Niger safely arrived in Madrid, Spain at 6:00 p.m. on Aug. 4 by plane provided by the Spanish government," said the ministry in a statement. "The Korean government expressed its gratitude to the Spanish government for its active cooperation for the safe departure of Korean nationals."

Korea evacuated three nationals on Thursday.

Governments have been evacuating their nationals out of Niger since its coup last week that ousted the country's democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. Hundreds of French and other European nationals have been evacuated.

As of Saturday, there were nine Koreans left in the country, all of whom were accounted for by the ministry and deemed to be in a safe place.

The ministry said it will continue to communicate with the Korean citizens to try to facilitate their departure from Niger.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]