The Foreign Ministry put 24 South Korean nationals onto two charter buses at dawn on the 2nd (local time) and safely moved them to Turkmenistan on the evening of the 3rd. They traveled roughly 808 miles (1,300 km), including an overnight stop at an intermediate point.
According to the Foreign Ministry, airstrikes began after the buses left Tehran, and the blasts shattered glass at staff lodging, creating a hair-trigger situation.
The ministry had already prepared an “emergency evacuation plan” based on its experience evacuating Koreans from Iran last June. Officials say following that manual made the rapid evacuation possible.
A Foreign Ministry official told reporters on the 10th that they had secured the same bus drivers who had experience from the June operation. “We notified the nationals to gather at the embassy and provided food and lodging so they could stay there comfortably,” the official said.
For the predawn evacuation, Ambassador to Iran Kim Jun-pyo and embassy staff packed gimbap and prepared sandwiches to minimize evacuees’ discomfort.
During the drive the buses encountered fog and icy two-lane roads, so drivers reduced speed and prioritized safety.
Through prior coordination with Turkmenistan, officials arranged for a border checkpoint to be reserved exclusively for the South Koreans. They informed Turkmen authorities about children and pregnant women among the group and requested expedited procedures.
At the checkpoint, officials faced an unexpected complication. Some evacuees had Iranian spouses; Turkmen authorities initially told the Korean team that allowing spouses was acceptable but bringing additional relatives would be problematic.
Beyond Iran, the government has helped South Koreans stranded across the Middle East move safely to neighboring countries by providing charter buses and other assistance. So far, evacuees have reached safety in neighboring states from Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait, and the tally includes about 120 people evacuated from Israel.
The Foreign Ministry is now planning a second evacuation for nationals still in Iran and Israel. An official said, “We may evacuate roughly 30 people from Israel and around 10 from Iran.” The ministry declined to disclose specific routes and schedules for safety reasons.
Officials are also arranging charter flights and pressing diplomatic channels to resume commercial air service. On the 8th, a charter Etihad Airways flight carrying 203 South Koreans and three foreign spouses (206 people total) left the United Arab Emirates and arrived at Incheon International Airport in the early hours of the 9th. On the 10th, 322 South Koreans returned on a direct Qatar Airways flight.
