South Korea is closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan, the foreign ministry said Sunday, as Taliban fighters advanced to Kabul demanding the surrender of the central government, prompting citizens and foreigners to flee the city.

“We still have staff stationed at the embassy. We are closely monitoring the situation,” a ministry official said on Sunday afternoon.

Another official said the situation in Afghanistan is “very tense,” adding that they are “reviewing a number of options.”

The ministry declined to confirm whether evacuation of diplomats is one of the options under review, but the mission is widely expected to pull out if the situation deteriorates.

Tension is heightening in the war-torn country, as Taliban insurgents entered its capital Sunday after taking control of most of the country‘s territory since the United States and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies began pulling out troops in May.

The withdrawal is part of a February agreement signed last year between the US and the Taliban, which commits the latter to meet its promises to ensure that it will cut ties with all extremist groups like al-Qaeda and the country does not become a base for terrorist plots. (Yonhap)