BAGUIO CITY — The government is prepared to evacuate some 50,000 Filipinos in South Korea should tensions in the Korean peninsula escalate, President Benigno Aquino III said Friday.

"I asked the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) to make sure that they do test runs kung saka-sakaling kelangang i-evacuate. I asked the DFA also to talk to the Japanese government, to their ambassador, dahil yung closest point ng evacuation is about 50 kilometers, sa Japan," Aquino said in an interview here.

Aquino said the United Nations has assured them that it will secure the safety of nine Filipinos in North Korea, five of whom are working for the UN and four who are working for an international tobacco company.

On Thursday, Aquino presided over a meeting of the Cabinet's security cluster in Malacañang, where the current tension between the two Koreas was discussed.

Also on Friday, Malacañang issued a statement condemning North Korea's artillery attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong which is near their disputed sea border.