Around 60 South Koreans in Israel have been evacuated by land to Egypt to seek shelter, according to the foreign ministry Wednesday, as US-Israeli strikes on Iran spiral into a broader Middle East conflict involving neighboring countries.
Sixty-two South Korean nationals and four ethnic Koreans with US citizenship left Jerusalem or Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning (local time) aboard a chartered bus arranged by the South Korean Embassy in Israel and headed for the Egyptian border, the ministry said.
Another 47 Korean travelers or short-term visa holders joined the group of Koreans at the border and moved into Egypt, according to the ministry.
The evacuation came after Iran launched missiles at Israel following US-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran.
Israel has since hit back with simultaneous strikes on Iran and the Iran-aligned militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
A Seoul official said the evacuation was arranged at the request of those who had expressed their intention to leave Israel.
Some 600 South Koreans, including roughly 100 short-term visitors, had been in Israel prior to the evacuation, the official said.
"We will consider a range of measures if there is additional demand," he said.
A government rapid response team, consisting of embassy and foreign ministry officials, has been dispatched to assist the evacuees en route to Cairo. (Yonhap)
