20 South Koreans, Families Evacuate Iran By Land Amid Escalating Israel-Iran Conflict

This photo, provided by the foreign ministry in Seoul on June 19, 2025, shows South Koreans and their Iranian family members boarding a bus during their evacuation from Iran to Turkmenistan. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 19 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- Twenty South Korean nationals and their family members have evacuated Iran via a land route and arrived safely in Turkmenistan amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, 18 South Koreans and two Iranian family members crossed the border into the Central Asian country on Tuesday morning (local time) via transportation provided by the South Korean government.
They arrived in the capital, Ashgabat, the next day, the ministry said.
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The eastern border land route chosen by the government is about 1,200 kilometres, and it takes around 16 hours to travel by bus without breaks, a ministry official said.
A rapid response team from Seoul was in Turkmenistan to assist with the evacuation efforts.
About 110 South Koreans had been estimated to be in Iran as of last Friday, when the Israelis initiated an attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities.
The official also indicated that preparations are underway for an additional evacuation.
The government has been weighing options to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals in the Middle East, amid the escalating tensions following massive airstrikes between Israel and Iran.
"Given the continued exchange of military strikes between the two sides this week, growing concerns over the safety of our citizens, and the ongoing closure of Iranian airspace, we have decided to assist our nationals in evacuating Iran via land routes," the ministry said.

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