Lee Thanks Japan for Evacuating S. Koreans from Middle East

Seoul, March 18 (Jiji Press)--South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has expressed deep gratitude for Japan’s recent assistance in evacuating South Korean nationals from the Middle East.

In a letter sent to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday, Lee thanked the Japanese government for allowing South Korean citizens to board its chartered flights from the region following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. The letter was released by the presidential office in Seoul on Wednesday.

On March 11 and last Friday, Japanese government-chartered flights carried a total of 16 South Korean nationals and their family members from Saudi Arabia and Oman, respectively.

Meanwhile, two Japanese nationals were evacuated from the region aboard a South Korean military transport aircraft on Sunday.

In 2024, Japan and South Korea signed a memorandum to provide mutual support in evacuating their nationals from third countries in emergency situations. The latest case is the first conducted under this agreement.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]