Press Briefing 

Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Affairs Soosuk Lim

February 7, 2023  14:30  KST

Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

The Korean government has decided to first provide US$5 million in humanitarian assistance to Türkiye, which was massively affected by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the southern border area of Türkiye on February 6. 

Yesterday evening, the Korean government held a director-general-level interagency meeting and dispatched an advance fact-finding team to the affected area.

President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the government to quickly send rescue workers and emergency medical supplies aboard Korea’s KC-330 military transport aircraft to help Türkiye recover from the damage of the earthquake, and to work closely with Türkiye authorities through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its diplomatic missions in the country.

President Yoon also instructed that, led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the relevant ministries work together to actively come up with assistance measures in the event that Türkiye needs additional assistance. 

Earlier today, President Yoon sent a letter to President of Türkiye Erdogan to offer his consolation over the losses and damage from the earthquake. 

The Korean government held a meeting of the public-private joint council for overseas emergency relief chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin at 2:00 pm, today, to discuss ways to help Türkiye in handling the aftermath of the earthquake, and decided to send a Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT).

In the meeting, the government decided to dispatch an about-60-member KDRT consisting of officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Fire Agency and the Korea International Cooperation Agency, among others, and to send medical and other emergency relief supplies aboard military transport aircraft. 

The KDRT will decide what operations it will carry out and in which areas it will do so after consultations with its counterparts from other countries dispatched to Türkiye as well as with the UN. 

For a swift implementation of what was decided at the meeting of the public-private joint council for overseas emergency relief, an emergency relief headquarters has been set up with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyundong as its head. 

To Syria, the Korean government will offer humanitarian assistance as soon as the relevant international organization announces what assistance is needed.

In addition, in response to the UN’s request over the earthquake in the northwestern border area of Iran on January 28, the Korean government has decided to extend US$300,000 in humanitarian assistance to the country. 

(A question-and-answer session followed.)