South Korea says it evacuated 28 citizens and some Japanese from Sudan

The 28 people represented all of the South Koreans who wished to leave Sudan, with one known citizen opting to remain behind, he said. South Korea had said it forward-deployed military air and naval assets near Sudan in order to be able to respond as necessary.

A South Korean military aircraft evacuated 28 of the country's citizens from Sudan, along with an unspecified number of Japanese nationals, South Korea's presidential office said on Monday.

Sudan's sudden slide into conflict between the army and a paramilitary group has sparked efforts by several countries to evacuate stranded nationals. A bus carrying the South Korean citizens arrived at the Port Sudan New International Airport for evacuation on a C-130 cargo aircraft, which then flew to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Second Deputy Director of the National Security Office Lim Jong-deuk told a briefing.

In Jeddah 26 of the South Koreans were due to board a larger military aircraft that would fly directly to Seoul, Lim added. Two people did not have immediate plans to return to South Korea. "After they arrive in Korea, our government will take necessary measures to ensure that urgently needed accommodations, such as checking their health status, are provided," he said.

"A number of Japanese residents" were also evacuated on the flight, Lim said without elaborating. The 28 people represented all of the South Koreans who wished to leave Sudan, with one known citizen opting to remain behind, he said.

South Korea had said it forward-deployed military air and naval assets near Sudan in order to be able to respond as necessary.