South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed gratitude to the leaders of Japan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia for their assistance in evacuating South Korean nationals from the Middle East. The cooperation came amidst the escalating US-Israel war with Iran, causing instability in the region. Lee specifically thanked Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for Japan’s help in evacuating 16 South Koreans and their family members to Tokyo on Japanese chartered flights.
Lee also commended the close coordination between Japan and South Korea, as Japanese nationals were transported from Saudi Arabia to South Korea on a South Korean military aircraft. He emphasized that this collaboration has further strengthened the friendship between the two countries. In his letters to the leaders, Lee expressed hope that this partnership would deepen the bond between their people and vowed to continue working together to ensure the safety of their citizens.
The South Korean President also extended his appreciation to Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for arranging a special flight that evacuated 322 South Koreans from Qatar. Additionally, Lee thanked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for assisting in safely bringing home 204 South Korean nationals from Riyadh. This evacuation marked South Korea’s first use of a military plane for airlift operations since the conflict in the Middle East began. Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had also expressed gratitude for the evacuation of Japanese nationals via a South Korean military transport aircraft.
