Seoul’s Foreign Ministry says it's closely monitoring situations in Iraq regarding a possible evacuation order for South Koreans residing in the country. 

A senior ministry official said on Thursday that efforts are being made so a swift and well-organized evacuation can be carried out once a decision is made. 

The official added the South Korean government is closely discussing with related countries and organizations and also communicating with South Koreans in Iraq. 

Iraq has been on South Korea’s list of travel ban countries for years, but around one-thousand-500 South Koreans are in Iraq on special permission for business and other purposes. 

On Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad ordered nonemergency U.S. government employees to leave Iraq as soon as possible amid rising military tensions between the U.S. and Iran which shares a border with Iraq.