Cho Hyun: "Military and chartered planes will soon be dispatched for Koreans staying in the Middle East"

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun said on the 5th that aircraft to evacuate Korean nationals will soon head to countries neighboring Iran and Israel. On the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the highest-level travel advisory, Level 4, banning all travel to Iran and urging the roughly 40 Koreans still there to leave immediately. Cheong Wa Dae (the Blue House) convened an emergency Cabinet meeting and decided to mobilize all possible means, including military aircraft, chartered planes, land routes, and other transportation options. The neighboring countries from which chartered or military aircraft carrying Korean nationals are expected to take off reportedly include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), via Dubai, and Oman.
Speaking in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building at Government Complex-Seoul in Jongno District, Seoul, Cho told this newspaper's reporter, "Military aircraft and chartered planes will be dispatched soon," indicating that the plan has moved beyond the review stage. However, he added that details such as the order in which military and chartered planes will be sent still need further discussion.
Around 20,000 Korean nationals remain in about 13 countries across the Middle East, including short-term visitors. Among them, 40 people are still in Iran and 500 in Israel, which are considered the highest-risk areas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also said to be reviewing the option of leasing chartered planes from other countries if the number of evacuees surges. A ministry official said, "We may lease a United Arab Emirates (UAE) chartered plane," adding, "We are reviewing this in parallel with the option of sending Korean-flagged aircraft." More than 2,000 long-term Korean residents are believed to remain in Dubai.
Some commercial flights have resumed, but if prolonged airspace closures continue, the government plans to activate a Plan B and deploy both chartered and military aircraft. However, as the situation in the Middle East rapidly deteriorates, many countries are reportedly prioritizing the evacuation of their own citizens and those of allied nations first.
Evacuations of Korean nationals via land routes have also continued. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 13 Koreans in Kuwait evacuated overland using a chartered bus arranged with ministry support. A pregnant woman with a one-year-old child, deemed in need of special protection, was transported separately in an embassy administrative vehicle; her spouse is reportedly a foreign national. In Israel, where 66 people were evacuated in the first group, four additional Koreans have since left. In Iran, where 28 people, including four family members holding Iranian nationality, had already evacuated, one more person safely crossed into neighboring Turkmenistan. In the Kingdom of Bahrain, the embassy residence was opened to accommodate 20 Korean nationals. Of these, 13 were provided with a chartered bus and consular assistance to evacuate to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In Iraq, where two Koreans had previously taken shelter, three more have now evacuated.



rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter