Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
23 Koreans evacuated from Iran to Turkmenistan
Korean nationals and a Ministry of Foreign Affairs rapid response team travel to neighboring Turkmenistan after departing Iran, Monday (local time). Courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
By Bahk Eun-ji
Twenty-three Korean nationals were evacuated from Iran to neighboring Turkmenistan as tensions escalate across the Middle East, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.
The evacuees crossed the Iran-Turkmenistan border on Tuesday evening, Korea time, with assistance from the Korean Embassy in Tehran and a rapid-response team dispatched from Seoul.
According to the ministry, the group departed Iran on Monday morning aboard two buses arranged by the embassy and escorted by diplomatic staff. After an overnight stop, they completed entry procedures at the Turkmenistan border without incident.
They are traveling to Ashgabat, the capital, using transportation arranged by the Korean Embassy there and are scheduled to depart individually on Wednesday for Korea or third countries.
“This evacuation was part of preemptive efforts to ensure the safety of our nationals in light of the deteriorating security environment,” a foreign ministry official said. “We have maintained close communication with those involved and prioritized their safe relocation.”
The official added that a rapid response team from the ministry assisted with immigration procedures upon arrival in Turkmenistan and is continuing to provide consular support, including accommodation arrangements and guidance on outbound flights.
“We are doing our utmost to ensure that our citizens experience no disruptions in the process,” the official said.
The ministry did not disclose further operational details but said it would continue monitoring developments across the Middle East and take necessary measures to assist other Korean nationals seeking to leave the region.
As of Tuesday, around 21,000 Koreans remained in 13 countries across the Middle East, according to government figures released earlier in the day.
Officials said efforts were underway to support the safe departure of Korean nationals in affected areas as tensions persisted.
Korean nationals and a Ministry of Foreign Affairs rapid response team travel to neighboring Turkmenistan after departing Iran, Monday (local time). Courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs