Over 70 Korean nationals evacuate from Iraq amid war in Middle East

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday (local time), amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran continues. Reuters-Yonhap

Over 70 South Korean corporate workers based in Iraq have been evacuated to safety over the past two weeks amid the continuing war in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

A total of 72 workers left Iraq for neighboring countries between March 18 and Monday on the advice of the Korean Embassy in Iraq, with assistance from embassy staff, according to the ministry.

Of them, 12 relocated to nearby countries, including Kuwait and Turkey, on Monday as the security situation worsened.

The Korean Embassy in Iraq and its consulate in Erbil have been in close contact with Korean nationals, advising them to leave the country as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran continues to spread across the Middle East.

Since late February, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, about 1,500 South Koreans have evacuated the region with support from the ministry, it said.