Foreign Ministry evacuates four groups of Koreans, family members from Iran ahead of U.S. airstrikes

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Foreign Ministry evacuates four groups of Koreans, family members from Iran ahead of U.S. airstrikes

Published: 22 Jun. 2025, 15:51 Updated: 22 Jun. 2025, 16:50

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Rapid Response Team officials from Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs dispatched to the Jordanian border checkpoint help Korean nationals evacuate on June 19. [YONHAP]

Korea's Foreign Ministry assists 20 Korean nationals and their Iranian family members to evacuate Iran by bus on Wednesday to neighboring Turkmenistan. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

As tensions in the Middle East surged following a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States, 56 people — including Korean nationals and their family members — were successfully evacuated from Iran to neighboring Turkmenistan between Wednesday and Saturday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.

The first group of 20 evacuees, including 18 Koreans and two Iranian family members, departed Tehran on Wednesday and arrived safely in Turkmenistan the following evening after a grueling 1,200-kilometer journey. On Thursday, 14 more managed to evacuate, followed by three on Friday and 19 more on Saturday. The Saturday's group included Korean embassy staff and their family members.

The evacuation was carried out overland, with the Korean government providing chartered buses to transport citizens out of Iran amid growing instability. The ministry confirmed that it is maintaining real-time communication with Korean residents in the region and is prepared to support further evacuations if needed.

From Israel, 25 Korean nationals and one Israeli family member were evacuated on Thursday to Jordan via land route with government support. On June 16, 20 Koreans managed to evacuate to Jordan using a chartered bus arranged by the association of Korean residents in Israel. Due to Israeli control of Iranian airspace, all evacuation routes relied on ground transportation.

A missile launched from Iran towards Israel is seen from Ramallah, Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 16, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

As of Sunday, there are about 80 Korean nationals remaining in Iran and 500 in Israel. The Foreign Ministry said Sunday that it has dispatched officials to both Turkmenistan and Jordan to assist border entry and exit procedures of the remaining Korean nationals out of the two countries and help them safely return to Korea.

Currently, the travel advisory for all parts of Iran and Israel is at Level 3 — an advisory to depart — but Israel also has also been allocated a level 4 advisory — or prohibited for travel.

The presidential office held an emergency security and economic response meeting on Sunday to assess the safety of Korean nationals and the potential effects on Korea’s economy and national security following the U.S. airstrikes.

Rapid Response Team officials from Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs dispatched to the Jordanian border checkpoint help Korean nationals evacuate on June 19. [YONHAP]

Smoke rises from a fire, as the Israel-Iran air war continues, in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released June 17, 2025. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said that “protecting the lives and safety of Koreans and ensuring their daily stability is most important” and added that “the presidential office urged close coordination among relevant ministries to ensure that the series of recent developments in the Middle East has minimal impact on Korea’s security and economic stability.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]