President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday ordered the establishment of an emergency response system led by the prime minister to respond to any problems rising from the crisis in the Middle East during his ongoing trip to Southeast Asia, the presidential office said. The instruction came shortly before Lee embarked on his trip to Singapore and the Philippines, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. The president also instructed officials to keep him informed of the government's response to the situation in the Middle East and its economic impact while ordering "utmost" precautions to ensure the safety of Koreans residing in the region. The move comes one day after a joint U.S.-Israeli strike against Iran reportedly left Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dead. The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae expressed hope that the Middle East will regain stability and peace as promptly as possible, adding it was also taking "various measures" to ensure the safety of Koreans overseas.