The government has hailed a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed faction Hezbollah, which came into effect at 4 a.m. Wednesday, local time.

In a statement released under the name of its spokesperson, the foreign ministry in Seoul said it welcomes the move and highly assesses the diplomatic efforts by the U.S. and France, which brokered the ceasefire. 

The ministry said the South Korean government hopes regional peace will promptly be restored and that the refugees on both sides will return home safely through the thorough implementation of the latest deal.

The ceasefire comes 13 months after a surprise attack on Israel in October 2023 by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Under the accord, Israel has agreed to withdraw troops from south Lebanon within the next 60 days, and Hezbollah has agreed to pull its forces and heavy weapons back some 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, to the Litani River.