On Wednesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol had ordered the immediate dispatch of military transport aircraft to bring South Korean citizens home. As of Wednesday, approximately 130 South Korean nationals were in Lebanon, excluding diplomats and their families. Currently, South Korean diplomats and around 30 nationals are still remaining in the nation.
There were around 110 nationals in Iran and another 480 in Israel, the ministry said. This marked the latest dispatch of a military aircraft to bring South Koreans home from conflict-ridden areas.
A KC-330 was dispatched to Israel in October last year to bring back 163 South Koreans after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. The aircraft was also mobilized for an operation in April 2023 to evacuate 28 South Koreans from Sudan after fighting intensified between rival forces in the country.
Seoul's foreign ministry said it would provide $3 million worth of humanitarian aid to Lebanon amid rising casualties from Israel's military attack against Hezbollah. The ministry said the assistance would help affected people in Lebanon ease their difficulties and quickly return to their daily lives.
The government has issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Israel and Lebanon, which strongly advises South Koreans there to leave the country immediately. The Level 4 travel ban, the highest of the four-scale travel warning system, has been applied for border regions of Israel and Lebanon.
