S. Korea 'strongly condemns' Iran's attack on Israel

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lim Soo-suk speaks during a regular press briefing in Seoul on April 2. (Yonhap)

The South Korean government issued a statement Sunday denouncing Iran's direct drone and missile attack on Israeli territory late Saturday, urging all involved parties to exercise restraint.

"The government strongly condemns Iran's massive attack on Israel that took place on April 13 local time," read the statement issued under the name of a spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul.

"The government is closely monitoring the situation with grave concerns and urges all parties directly concerned to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from aggravating."

The Foreign Ministry also held a meeting to review the safety of Korean nationals in Israel and discuss measures to strengthen safety at 11 a.m. local time Sunday.

Government Representative for Korean Nationals Overseas Protection and Consular Affairs Hong Seok-in presided over the meeting.

The meeting convened hours after Iran's unprecedented large-scale and first direct attack on Israeli territory late Saturday when it launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles.

Additionally, the Foreign Ministry announced the activation of a task force for the protection of Korean nationals overseas as of 7:30 a.m. Sunday.

In a separate statement issued at 4 p.m., the ministry reported no damages among around 500 Korean nationals residing in Israel, pledging to "continue to devise necessary measures to ensure their safety."

By Ji Da-gyum(dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)