Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-baek chaired a situational assessment meeting on the current Middle East situation at the Joint Chiefs of Staff operations command center on the 2nd, the Ministry of National Defense announced.
About 40 senior officials from the Ministry of National Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff attended the meeting. Commanders of overseas deployed units, including the Dongmyeong, Cheonghae, Akh, and Hanbit units, joined via video conference.
The meeting first assessed the international and Middle East situation as well as conditions related to North Korea. The status of deployed units was confirmed through reports from overseas unit commanders.
Minister Ahn stated, "While ensuring the safety of our troops on the ground as the top priority, please refrain from external activities and maintain full military readiness within bases to respond immediately to any situation."
He also emphasized maintaining a 24-hour crisis response system and thorough preparedness to ensure military assets can be immediately deployed to fulfill their missions when requested to support the evacuation of Korean nationals.
The Ministry of National Defense strengthened its protective posture for overseas deployed units as of the 28th of last month. The ministry confirmed that there have been no casualties among Korean deployed forces.