Lee stresses national safety in emergency meeting after Israeli strike on Iran
President Lee Jae-myung ordered that the safety of the Korean people be put first and called for measures to prevent any harm during an emergency meeting on Israel's attack on Iran, according to the presidential office in Seoul.
Lee convened an emergency security and economic meeting on the widescale airstrikes against Iran just hours later, at around 12:30 p.m. at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul.
'For now, the most important thing is the lives and safety of our people. I call for a thorough assessmetn of the situation of our nationals living there, to see if there has been any damage, and carefully check what measures are needed to prevent any harm,' Lee said during the meeting.
Lee also instructed his key aides to prevent economic fallout and maintain stability at a time when oil prices, exchange rates, and stock prices are fluctuating significantly in the aftermath of Israel's airstrike on Iran.
'Our economy, which had just been entering a stabilization phase, now seems to be falling into a rather considerably unstable state,' Lee said. 'I ask that you thoroughly manage and supervise so that our economy does not suffer greater damage due to external shocks.'
The meeting was attended by key aides including Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, national security adviser Wi Sung-lac, and policy chief Kim Yong-beom.
'To the people, I would like to say this: The government will take all necessary measures, so please carry on with your daily lives without worrying too much,' Lee said. 'We will do our utmost to handle the situation as swiftly as possible.'
According to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, no damage or harm to Korean nationals had been reported as of Friday noon, local Seoul time. Around 100 South Koreans reside in Iran as of Thursday.
'Our diplomatic mission is issuing safety notices to Korean nationals residing in the area and is continuously checking on their safety through emergency contact networks,' the Foreign Ministry said. 'The Foreign Ministry will continue to closely monitor the local situation and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Korean nationals.'
In a separate statement, the Foreign Ministry called for a reduction of tensions in the Middle East.
'Our government expresses deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, and hopes that tensions in the region will be alleviated swiftly,' the ministry said in a statement issued by an unnamed Foreign Ministry official.
After the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel had struck Iran's main enrichment site in Natanz, its ballistic missile program, and leading nuclear scientists and officials. Netanyahu also alleged that Iran was devising new plans to destroy Israel.
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Korea Herald
12 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Israel attacks Iran's nuclear sites and its top military leaders. Iran retaliates with drones
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Israel attacked Iran early Friday with a barrage of airstrikes that took out top military officers and hit nuclear and missile sites, calling it just the beginning and raising the potential for an all-out war between the two bitter Middle East adversaries. It appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq. Iran quickly retaliated, sending a swarm of drones at Israel as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of 'severe punishment.' Iran had been censured by the UN's atomic watchdog a day earlier for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. For years, Israel had threatened such a strike and successive American administrations had sought to prevent it, fearing it would ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East and possibly be ineffective at destroying Iran's dispersed and hardened nuclear program. Countries in the region condemned Israel's attack, while leaders around the globe called for immediate deescalation from both sides. Israel's military said about 200 aircraft were involved in the initial attack on about 100 targets. Two security officials said the country's Mossad spy agency was also able to position explosive drones inside Iran ahead of time and then activate them to target missile launchers at an Iranian base near Tehran. They said Israel had also smuggled precision weapons into central Iran as well as strike systems on vehicles, which were activated as the attack began to hit Iranian air defenses. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the highly secretive missions and it was not possible to independently confirm their claims. There was no official comment. The Israeli attack hit several sites, including Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz, where black smoke could be seen rising into the air. Later in the morning, Israel said it had also destroyed dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran. Israel military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israel has 'significantly damaged' Natanz and that the operation was 'still in the beginning.' Among those killed were three of Iran's top military leaders, one who oversaw the entire armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, one who led the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard , Gen. Hossein Salami, and another who ran the Guard's ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh. Iran confirmed all three deaths, which were a significant blow to Tehran's governing theocracy and will complicate efforts to retaliate against Israel. Khamenei said other top military officials and scientists were also killed. In its first response, Iran fired more than 100 drones at Israel. Israel said the drones were being intercepted outside its airspace, and it was not immediately clear whether any got through. US President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with Washington on its nuclear program, warning on his Truth Social platform that Israel's attacks 'will only get worse.' Without saying whether he was privy to specific Israeli plans, Trump said 'there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end.' 'Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire,' he wrote. 'No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.' Officials in Washington had cautioned Israel against an attack during continued negotiations over Iran's nuclear enrichment program. They stressed the US had not been involved and warned against any retaliation targeting US interests or personnel. Israel told the Trump administration that large-scale attacks were coming, US officials said on condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic discussions. On Wednesday the US pulled some American diplomats from Iraq's capital and offered voluntary evacuations for the families of US troops in the wider Middle East. Israeli leaders cast the attack as necessary to head off an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs, though it remains unclear how close the country is to achieving that or whether Iran had actually been planning a strike. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. "This is a clear and present danger to Israel's very survival,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed as he vowed to pursue the attack for as long as necessary to 'remove this threat.' Over the past year, Israel has been targeting Iran's air defenses, hitting a radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery in April 2024 and surface-to-air missile sites and missile manufacturing facilities in October. Nervous Israelis rushed to supermarkets in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and elsewhere to buy bottled water and other supplies, and circulated messages on WhatsApp groups advising each other to prepare their shelters for potential long-term use. Khamenei said in a statement that Israel 'opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to a crime in our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centers.' For Netanyahu, the operation distracts attention from Israel's ongoing and increasingly devastating war in Gaza , which is now over 20 months old. There is a broad consensus in the Israeli public that Iran is a major threat, and Israel's opposition leader, Yair Lapid, a staunch critic of Netanyahu, offered his 'full support' for the mission against Iran. But if Iranian reprisals cause heavy Israeli casualties or major disruptions to daily life, public opinion could shift quickly. The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah issued a statement that offered condolences and condemned the attack, but did not threaten to join Iran in its retaliation. Hezbollah's latest war with Israel — which killed much of the group's senior leadership — ended with a US-brokered ceasefire in November. Netanyahu expressed hope the attacks would trigger the downfall of Iran's theocracy, saying his message to the Iranian people was that the fight was not with them, but with the 'brutal dictatorship that has oppressed you for 46 years.' 'I believe that the day of your liberation is near,' he said. In addition to targeting nuclear and military sites, Israel aimed its attacks at officials leading Iran's nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that an Israeli strike hit Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and said it was closely monitoring radiation levels. The strike on Iran pushed the Israeli military to its limits, requiring the use of aging air-to-air refuelers to get its fighter jets close enough to attack. It wasn't immediately clear if Israeli jets entered Iranian airspace or just fired so-called 'standoff missiles' over another country. People in Iraq heard fighter jets overhead at the time of the attack. The potential for an attack had been apparent for weeks as angst built over Iran's nuclear program. Once the attacks were underway, the US Embassy in Jerusalem issued an alert telling American government workers and their families to shelter in place until further notice. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel took 'unilateral action against Iran' and that Israel advised the US that it believed the strikes were necessary for its self-defense. 'We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,' Rubio said in a statement released by the White House. Trump is scheduled to attend a meeting of his National Security Council on Friday in the White House Situation Room. Israel has long been determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a concern laid bare on Thursday when the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the first time in 20 years censured Iran over its refusal to work with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site and install more advanced centrifuges. Even so, there are multiple assessments on how many nuclear weapons Iran could conceivably build, should it choose to do so. Iran would need months to assemble, test and field any weapon, which it so far has said it has no desire to do. US intelligence agencies also assess Iran does not have a weapons program at this time. In a sign of the far-reaching implications of the emerging conflict, Israel's main airport was closed and benchmark Brent crude spiked on news of the attack, rising nearly 8% before retreating slightly. (AP)
Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee to hold 1st meeting with EU leaders during G7 summit
BRUSSELS -- President Lee Jae-myung is set to meet with top European Union officials during the upcoming Group of Seven summit in Canada, the EU office said Friday, which would mark his first diplomatic engagement with EU leadership since taking office. Lee will meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa on the sidelines of the G7 summit, the EU spokesperson's office said in response to Yonhap News Agency's question. Lee's attendance at the G7 summit in Alberta from June 15 to 17 will serve as his international diplomatic debut, coming less than two weeks after assuming the presidency last week. Following Lee's victory in the presidential election, von der Leyen had expressed her anticipation for "deepening the strong bond between Europe and the Republic of Korea" in a post on X. "Our partnership is built on shared values and common interests, from trade, to innovation and defense. Together, we can champion a rules-based global order, free and fair trade, and a free, open Indo-Pacific," she said, adding, "The next EU–Republic of Korea Summit will be the occasion to take all this forward." (Yonhap)
![[Photo News] Lee Jae-myung visits border village on Day 2 of border tranquility](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F13%2Frcv.YNA.20250613.PYH2025061314780001300_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Korea Herald
15 hours ago
- Korea Herald
[Photo News] Lee Jae-myung visits border village on Day 2 of border tranquility
President Lee Jae-myung on Friday met residents at a hamlet known as Unification Village, or Tongil Chon, near South Korea's border with North Korea as he visited Jangdan-myeon in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The meeting was held at a community service center that is 2 kilometers east of Dorasan Station, the railway station closest to North Korea. The station has been operating since 2002. Friday marked the second day since loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts stopped between the two Koreas. Following Lee's order to suspend the daily broadcasts Wednesday at 2 p.m. — for the first time in about a year — North Korea turned off its loudspeakers on Thursday. Lee told residents he was relieved to learn that North Korea stopped the loudspeaker broadcasts after South Korea did so, as it solved noise-related problems at the border village stemming from the broadcasts. Lee's stop there followed his visit to the South Korean Army base of the 25th Infantry Division to meet about 50 officers, noncommissioned officers and soldiers combined, and a village in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province, which is about 20 kilometers south of the borderline.
