President Yoon Suk Yeol has ordered the deployment of a military transport aircraft to repatriate South Korean nationals in Sudan amid ongoing clashes between the country's military and main paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

According to the presidential office on Friday, Yoon called for various measures while highlighting the safety of overseas South Koreans following a briefing on the conflict in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.

Urging officials to prioritize the safety of South Korean nationals under any circumstance, the president ordered the ministries of foreign affairs and defense to implement measures that include the sending of military aircraft.

The National Security Office convened a meeting with relevant ministries in which participants decided to operate an around-the-clock response system.

Fighting broke out in the capital last Saturday between the military and paramilitary forces, both led by leaders who jointly staged a coup d'etat to overthrow President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in April 2019.

The conflict has claimed a reported 330 lives as of Friday, prompting countries to scramble to evacuate their citizens. Seoul has said there are 25 South Koreans in the country.