The presidential office convened a joint security-economic review meeting on the situation in the Middle East in the wake of the assassination of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

The top office said the meeting on Thursday, jointly chaired by Director of National Security Chang Ho-jin and Director of National Policy Sung Tae-yoon, focused on the impact that the Middle East situation could have on South Korea’s security and economy as well as the direction Seoul should take to address such impact. 

Participants analyzed the stances and projections of related countries on the latest situation and reviewed diplomatic preparedness as well as ways to devise steps to ensure the safety of the Korean community in the Middle East. They also studied measures for the potential evacuation of Koreans currently there in the event of an emergency. 

For possible effects on the nation’s economy, participants assessed that although global oil prices have surged, there have been no impacts on supply and demand of crude oil and gas as well as the operation of oil tankers. 

This meeting comes after top Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed earlier on Wednesday by an airstrike in the Iranian capital during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.