"Fifteen Minutes After the First Explosion, the Embassy Issued a Notice"
"Currently the Airport Is Closed... Considering Returning by Land"
As clashes between Israel and Iran entered their third day, a Korean graduate student living in Tehran, the capital of Iran, described the ongoing situation marked by repeated explosions.
Jung Sihoon, a doctoral student at the University of Tehran, said in an interview with MBC's "Kim Jongbae's Focus" on the 16th, "There are four other Korean exchange students in Iran besides myself. We are all safe and, since the onset of this crisis, have been staying together at home."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted an airstrike on Iran's nuclear facilities on the 13th (local time). Afterward, as Iran launched retaliatory attacks, the area of conflict expanded to the vicinity of the capital, Tehran. Jung recounted, "The first airstrike took place during the night of the 12th to the 13th. At around 3:30 a.m., a loud explosion was heard, and about 15 minutes later, the embassy issued a safety alert."
He continued, "On the morning of the 15th, which was yesterday, an oil refinery in a city called Rey, south of Tehran, was bombed. A fire broke out, and thick black smoke has been rising continuously."
It has already been reported that residents of Tehran are fleeing the city. Jung explained, "There are so many cars heading out of Tehran that the roads are severely congested. The line of evacuees stretches for about 40 kilometers. Some are heading south of Tehran, while others are moving toward nearby cities such as Qom and Esfahan. Overall, people are moving out simultaneously in multiple directions."
Jung stated, "I also plan to lead the other four students back to Korea. Currently, the airport is closed, so we are waiting for the airspace to reopen, but if it remains closed, we are considering returning by land."
Regarding the support from the Korean Embassy in Iran, he said, "From the moment the first explosion was heard, safety alerts were issued quickly, and even now, our safety is checked two to three times a day. We were also told that if the situation worsens, we could move to the embassy and stay there."
Jung added, "Last year's (Israeli) airstrikes took place in the outskirts of Tehran, so I only heard about them in the news, but this time, explosions and anti-aircraft gunfire can be heard continuously. According to a spokesperson from the Iranian Ministry of Health, the number of Iranian casualties currently stands at between 1,400 and 1,500, with just under 250 fatalities."
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