By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
South Korea will offer relief goods worth $1 million to Haitians who are suffering from the effects of a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Thursday.
The government will also send relief workers to the devastated country. In addition, a local agency affiliated with the ministry has decided to dispatch volunteers there.
The ministry confirmed that some 70 South Koreans in the Caribbean country are safe and advised them to leave for neighboring countries including the Dominican Republic due to a tsunami warning and possible aftershocks.
Seventeen have already left for the Dominican Republic.
"In order to help the government and people of Haiti carry out restoration work and to join the international humanitarian efforts, we plan to offer emergency relief worth $1 million," ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun said.
The decision came after a meeting of government officials took place earlier in the day to discuss how to help Haiti, he added.
The ministry is also reviewing how to provide South Koreans there with critical necessities via the embassy in the Dominican Republic, he said.
"The Korean government offers its condolences to the government and the people of Haiti for the loss of many lives and assets from the earthquake and hopes Haiti will recover from the damage as soon as possible," the spokesman said.
After the devastating earthquake took place Tuesday, seven South Koreans went missing but the ministry found them all to be safe Thursday.
The ministry also released a travel warning.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) decided to send five relief workers, who are currently carrying out voluntary activities in adjacent countries, to Haiti.
Of them, relief worker Song Jun-kwon arrived there with four officials from the South Korean Embassy from the Dominican Republic.