Lee orders safety measures for Koreans in Venezuela after US attack

President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday ordered government agencies to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals in Venezuela and to prepare an evacuation plan after the United States announced it had captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

According to the presidential office spokesperson, Lee instructed relevant authorities, including the Foreign Ministry, to “thoroughly protect South Korean nationals and draw up a detailed evacuation plan in case the situation deteriorates.”

Lee also urged them to make “full preparations” for swift action if needed, Cheong Wa Dae added.

As of Saturday, around 70 South Koreans are residing in Venezuela, including roughly 50 in the capital, Caracas. No injuries or damage involving South Korean nationals have been reported, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said.

The Foreign Ministry has activated its overseas nationals protection response team and, in coordination with South Korea’s diplomatic mission on the ground, is taking steps to ensure the safety of Korean nationals in Venezuela.

The Foreign Ministry is set to hold an emergency countermeasures meeting this evening.

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that Maduro and his wife had been captured and flown out of the country in what he described as a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leadership. Maduro has been charged with narco-terrorism in the US.