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Vacation abandoned, gimbap hand-rolled: How Korea protected its own in Iran

Published: 10 Mar. 2026, 18:58 Updated: 11 Mar. 2026, 10:03

SEO JI-EUN
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A massive plume of smoke rises near the Korean Embassy in Iran following bombardment in the surrounding area. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

In the predawn darkness of March 2, a convoy of two buses carrying 24 Korean nationals pulled out of Tehran, beginning a 13-hour journey along 1,300 kilometers (808 miles) of frozen, two-lane roads toward the Turkmenistan border.

This was the beginning of an operation that saw Korean diplomats race against the clock to move citizens out of Tehran just hours before the city was engulfed in heavy bombardment.

Just hours after they pulled out of the Iranian capital, the bombardment intensified so severely that even staff residences near the embassy were damaged — but by then, the Korean evacuation convoy had already moved out of immediate danger.

Buses carrying Korean evacuees travels along a fog-covered two-lane road during a 1,300-kilometer journey from Iran to Turkmenistan on March 2. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

The response was not a matter of luck.

According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials briefing reporters on Tuesday, Seoul maintained emergency contact networks with Korean communities and diplomatic missions in Iran after evacuating Korean nationals from the country during the United States’ strike in June 2025.

After Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a precision strike by U.S.-Israeli allied forces on Feb. 28, officials concluded that moving people out early would do more to ensure their safety than asking them to shelter in place.

Windows at a residence used by Korean Embassy staff in Iran are heavily damaged following bombardment. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

The operation also relied on individual grit.

With communications unstable, a consular officer who had been on vacation in Seoul and rushed back to a war-hit Iran emerged as a key player in the operation.

Because local communication networks were failing, he utilized an Iranian SIM card to stay in contact with a staff escort who was riding the buses to the Turkmenistan border.

Korean nationals had initially been directed to a checkpoint about five hours away from the embassy. After negotiations, however, officials secured a checkpoint just about an hour away and arranged it to be used exclusively for Korean evacuees.

Complications arose when one Korean national refused to leave without an Iranian spouse and local relatives.

While Turkmen authorities initially balked, a Korean rapid response team stepped in and continued behind-the-scenes negotiations with senior Turkmen officials, including the deputy foreign minister. An exceptional arrangement was eventually granted, allowing the family to cross the border together.

Another rapid response team went to support about 120 Koreans for an overland evacuation from Israel to Egypt.

The ministry said it is reviewing plans for a second overland evacuation for additional Koreans still seeking to leave — about 30 in Israel and fewer than 10 in Iran.

In a rare public praise of the Foreign Ministry, President Lee Jae Myung said that it was “doing a good job” in responding to the crisis in Iran, nodding to its employment of proactive measures, including overland evacuations and efforts to keep diplomatic missions on the ground.

Korean nationals in Iran evacuate at dawn carrying their luggage with assistance from embassy staff. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

The Foreign Ministry stressed that the Korean Embassy in Tehran has continued to serve as the last line of defense.

Ambassador Kim Jun-pyo and his team spent the early morning hours before buses departed on March 2 hand-preparing gimbap (seaweed rice roll) and sandwiches for departing citizens.

"There will be no embassy withdrawal until the last citizen is safe," a senior Foreign Ministry official told reporters.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, meanwhile, secured a dedicated charter flight after an emergency phone call with his United Arab Emirates counterpart.

This allowed 206 people to return on the first government charter flight from Abu Dhabi, bypassing a long desert crossing into Oman. The government reviewed the possibility of deploying a Korean Air charter aircraft, but officials said the UAE’s offer to provide a charter flight directly from the region proved to be a more efficient option.

“Europe is geographically much closer, but we are physically far away, which makes securing flights much more difficult," the official added.

President Lee Jae Myung shares on X a post by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on the safe return of 206 citizens from Abu Dhabi aboard the first government-chartered flight, writing, “The Foreign Ministry is doing a good job. Faster than anyone, safer than anyone.” [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The government’s protective net extends to the sea.

The ministry confirmed it has procured agreements with ports near the Strait of Hormuz for some 20 Korean-flagged vessels and around 180 crew members currently in the area, allowing them to dock and resupply.

One such resupply operation for a vessel is already underway.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]