Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia was attacked on October 10, resulting in over 300 casualties. This incident marks the deadliest attack in Gulf Arab countries since the outbreak of the Iran conflict.
According to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the Houthi rebel attack resulted in at least 12 deaths and 309 injuries. The deceased included nationals from Saudi Arabia, the United States, Bangladesh, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt.
Operations at King Khalid International Airport have been effectively paralyzed, prompting the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and other Western embassies to issue warnings for their citizens to avoid the airport vicinity.
As the Houthis continue their aggressive attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities, the U.S. has hinted at the possibility of military intervention. President Donald Trump stated regarding the Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia, "That could happen. We will look into it." Just last month, the U.S. had indicated it had no plans to intervene when Saudi Arabia requested military support.
With rising tensions in the Middle East, South Korea's economy is also on alert. Although the country has reduced its dependence on Middle Eastern oil, over half of its oil imports still come from the region. An increase in oil import prices could significantly burden the refining and petrochemical industries.
According to the Korea Petroleum Association, as of August, South Korea's oil imports totaled 91.335 million barrels, a 2.2% decrease from the previous year. Of this, Middle Eastern oil accounted for approximately 60.0%, a decrease of 23.7 percentage points from a year earlier. Notably, imports from Saudi Arabia reached 21.669 million barrels, making it the largest source of oil imports.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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