President Lee Jae-myung expressed his sorrow and offered condolences over the severe damage caused by a magnitude 7.7 strong earthquake in Indonesia.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter), President Lee stated, "On behalf of the government of the Republic of Korea, I extend my deepest condolences to the victims and bereaved families who have lost precious family members and their homes in this sudden disaster."

He added, "I sincerely hope that recovery efforts will be carried out swiftly under the leadership of President Prabowo, allowing residents in the affected areas to return to their peaceful daily lives as soon as possible." He also noted, "As rescue and search operations are currently underway, I earnestly hope that even one more person safely returns to the arms of their family."

Earlier, an earthquake struck off the northern coast of Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province, located in the Lesser Sunda Islands of eastern Indonesia, at around 5:58 AM on the 15th (local time). As of the 16th, the disaster has left 51 people dead and completely destroyed 914 houses.

(Photo: Yonhap News)