Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
Korea moves to assist travelers stranded in Middle East
Canceled flights to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, are displayed at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 Monday amid rising military tensions in the Middle East in the wake of U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Lee Hyo-jin
Foreign ministry holds emergency meeting on returning Koreans as commercial air routes remain closed
Korea has shifted its Middle East diplomatic corps to an emergency footing, moving to secure extraction routes for citizens stranded there as escalating regional hostilities disrupt commercial airspace.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday it intensified its coordination with defense and intelligence agencies, scrambling to navigate a volatile security environment for thousands of Koreans currently in the region.
Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina convened a meeting with officials from the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the National Intelligence Service, where they weighed different evacuation options for travelers stranded in the Gulf region by flight cancellations.
Korea's embassies in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, along with the consulate in Dubai, provided updates on efforts to assist Koreans and discussed ways to strengthen coordination between missions.
Kim urged officials to continue verifying the safety of Korean nationals in countries near Iran, where conflict has intensified following a U.S.-Israeli joint strike, leaving short-term travelers unable to depart, and to prepare detailed plans to support their safe return.
Diplomatic missions are tracking the number of Koreans in the region while providing updates on airport closures, flight schedules and possible departure routes, the ministry said.
Around 21,000 Korean nationals are currently in 13 countries across the Middle East. Of them, about 4,000 — including tourists and other short-term visitors — are estimated to be in Dubai.
According to local media reports, the foreign ministry asked Korean Air, the nation's flag carrier, whether it could operate charter flights to airports near Dubai, including Muscat International Airport in Oman and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Muscat airport is about a five-hour drive from Dubai, while King Khalid airport is roughly 10 hours away, raising the possibility of transporting evacuees by road before flying them back to Korea.
Korean Air declined to confirm the reports when contacted by The Korea Times.
"We are continuously assessing the situation regarding our citizens stranded in regions such as the UAE, while closely coordinating with relevant government agencies," Kim, the vice foreign minister, said during a briefing held later in the day.
She added, "We are reviewing various measures to ensure their safe and swift return to Korea. These include deploying chartered flights and military transport aircraft, as well as sending additional government rapid response teams."
A plume of smoke rises following a U.S.-Israeli military strike in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap
Commercial flights have been severely disrupted since the U.S. and Israel began their attack on Iran last Saturday, as Middle Eastern countries including Iran, Israel, the UAE and Qatar have fully or partially closed their airspaces.
Flights from Incheon, Korea's main gateway, to the Middle East have been canceled. Korean Air has suspended its Incheon-Dubai route until at least Sunday, the airline said.
Emirates flights between Incheon and Dubai, Etihad Airways flights between Incheon and Abu Dhabi, and Qatar Airways flights between Incheon and Doha have also been suspended.
Amid these developments, around 140 Korean citizens and ethnic Koreans were evacuated Tuesday from Iran and Israel to neighboring Turkmenistan and Egypt, respectively, in a government-led operation.
According to the ministry, 24 Korean nationals in Iran crossed into Turkmenistan, while 66 Koreans in Israel joined 47 short-term travelers at the Israel-Egypt border before traveling onward to Egypt. A total of 113 people arrived safely in Egypt, officials said.
"The government will further explore various evacuation options depending on the situation," a foreign ministry official said.
The official added that closing the Korean Embassy in Iran is currently not under consideration, stressing that the government will continue to monitor the situation and take full responsibility for the safety of its citizens.