Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon says Seoul is conducting a thorough safety check on South Korean nationals in Iraq.

During a parliamentary briefing Wednesday, Ban said the government is strongly urging non-essential personnel to leave the country, and advising people wishing to remain to evacuate to the South Korean Embassy in Baghdad in case of emergency.

Ban said the ministry is asking Korean nationals to sign a statement in which they pledge to take responsibility of their own safety should they choose to remain in the war-torn nation for unavoidable reasons.

Ban said the number of South Koreans in the Middle Eastern region total some seven thousand, including more than 2,000 in Saudi Arabia and Libya.

The government has raised the travel alert level in the Gulf region from "advisory" to "warning" as of late last month.