Photo : YONHAP News / Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The foreign ministry has held a meeting to review safety measures for South Koreans in Iran, where anti-government protests are escalating.
The ministry said Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a, who chaired the meeting on Tuesday, has instructed the South Korean embassy in Tehran to exert best efforts to secure the safety of South Koreans there, given the high level of uncertainty in the country.
In particular, Kim ordered the embassy to consider the possibility of evacuating South Koreans from Iran and thoroughly make related preparations.
South Korean Ambassador to Iran Kim Jun-pyo said the embassy is checking the safety of all South Korean residents of Iran daily via phone and urging them to refrain from going out at night, when most of the protests are going on.
According to the foreign ministry, no reports of South Korean casualties have been reported so far.
Some 70 South Koreans live in Iran, in addition to embassy personnel and their families.