As Tensions Rise in the Middle East, Foreign Ministry's Second Vice Minister Urges Short-Term Visitors to Leave Promptly
- Input
- 2026-07-19 20:00:19
- Updated
- 2026-07-19 20:00:19
[Financial News] As tensions in the Middle East escalate, Kim Jin-ah, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, has asked diplomatic missions in the region to strongly advise short-term visitors to leave as soon as possible.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the 19th that it held a joint situation review meeting between headquarters and overseas missions, chaired by Kim, to examine safety measures for Koreans staying in the region and for Korean vessels. Representatives from 17 missions in the Middle East, including the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Iran and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Israel, attended the meeting.
Kim said, "The military clashes between the United States and Iran, which resumed over the Strait of Hormuz issue, have continued for more than a week, and tensions are rising." She added, "Civilian facilities in the region are also being attacked, and with many casualties reported, the safety of Koreans staying there is a concern."
She also urged the missions to update emergency contact networks and distribute safety notices frequently. "Given that travel warnings at Level 3, or a departure advisory, have been issued for most Middle Eastern countries since March, please advise short-term visitors to leave promptly unless they have an urgent reason," she told them.
Kim also instructed them to note that flight cancellations to or via Middle Eastern countries and the closure of regional airspace could disrupt travel schedules.
She further emphasized the need to pay special attention to the safety of two Korean vessels and their crews still in the Strait of Hormuz. She also warned that concerns over safe navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait are growing as military tensions between Houthi rebels in Yemen and Saudi Arabia have recently intensified, and she stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of Korean ships traveling through the Red Sea.
[email protected] Choi Eun-sol Reporter