Korea has shifted its Middle East diplomatic corps to an emergency footing, moving to secure extraction routes for citizens as escalating regional hostilities disrupt commercial airspace. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs intensified its coordination Wednesday with defense and intelligence agencies, scrambling to navigate a volatile security environment for thousands of Koreans currently in the crossfire. Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina convened a meeting with officials from the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the National Intelligence Service, where they weighed different evacuation options as commercial flight cancellations leave travelers stranded across the Gulf. Embassies in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, along with the consulate in Dubai, provided updates on efforts to assist Koreans stranded by flight cancellations and discussed ways to strengthen coordination among missions. Kim urged officials to continue verifying the safety of Korean nationals in countries near Iran, where conflict has intensified following a U.S.-Is