Minister Cho Tae-yul Holds Joint Meeting between Headquarters and Diplomatic Missions to Assess Situation in Middle East

1. On April 15, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul chaired a joint meeting between the headquarters and diplomatic missions to analyze future prospects for the situation in the Middle East and review measures to protect overseas Korean nationals after Iran's attack on Israel.

ㅇ Today's meeting was attended by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Insun and other high-level officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Korean Ambassadors to Israel, Iran and Lebanon, and the Head of the Representative Office of the Republic of Korea to Palestine.

2. At the meeting, the participants discussed recent developments in and future prospects for the regional security of the Middle East, as well as measures to protect Korean nationals residing in Israel, Iran, and nearby Middle Eastern regions.

3. Foreign Minister Cho emphasized the need for close cooperation between the headquarters and diplomatic missions to ensure the safety of Korean nationals in the region while closely monitoring the regional situation.

4. In particular, Foreign Minister Cho requested that the heads of diplomatic missions thoroughly prepare safety measures for Korean nationals, companies, ships and diplomatic missions abroad, which President Yoon Suk Yeol mentioned at the emergency meeting on economy and security focusing on the situation in the Middle East on the previous day. In addition, he stressed to the heads of diplomatic missions that it is important to review prospects for the situation and risk factors regarding Korea's economy and security and come up with detailed plans.

5. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East for national interests and the safety of Korean nationals, while seeking ways to ensure their safety.