Korea to send 3 officials to embassy in Ukraine for contingency plans amid tension

A Ukrainian serviceman holds ammunition hanging at a front line position in the Luhansk area of eastern Ukraine, Jan. 28. AP-Yonhap

The foreign ministry said Saturday it will send three officials to the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine to prepare contingency plans for Korean nationals in the country amid the escalating geopolitical tension.

The decision came after Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong held a virtual meeting with the chiefs of South Korea's diplomatic missions in Russia, Ukraine and other nations the previous day amid tensions between Moscow and Kyiv.

The embassy in Ukraine also plans to update information on means of transportation and land evacuation routes on its website, while holding meetings with Korean residents and companies.

The foreign ministry advised South Koreans in Ukraine to depart to safer regions in the near future, while international flights are still operating normally from seven airports in six cities.

Around 440 Koreans are staying in the Ukraine, with most of them in the capital Kyiv and other cities in the interior.

Earlier this week, the ministry advised Korean nationals in 15 southern, eastern and northern regions of Ukraine to swiftly leave the nation amid the increased threat of Russian military action. (Yonhap)