Korea will consider evacuating its nationals if Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalates: Vice minister

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Korea will consider evacuating its nationals if Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalates: Vice minister

Published: 24 Sep. 2024, 14:50 Updated: 24 Sep. 2024, 14:58

Korea is considering evacuating its citizens residing in Lebanon and Israel in the event of an emergency, as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continue to escalate, a senior diplomat said Tuesday.

"We have plans in place for the evacuation of our nationals in case of emergency," First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun said during a televised interview, adding the government is closely monitoring the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

As of Tuesday, there were 480 and 140 South Koreans in Israel and in Lebanon, respectively.

"If the situation worsens, airport closures or other disruptions could occur. We strongly advise our nationals to leave while commercial flights are still available," Kim said.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified since Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza began nearly a year ago. Recently, Israel has increased its bombardment of Hezbollah positions.

Yonhap