Travelers arrive at Incheon International Airport, Friday, after hundreds of South Koreans returned from Dubai amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Yonhap
A chartered plane departed from the United Arab Emirates on Sunday to bring home hundreds of Koreans stranded in the Middle Eastern country amid the escalating conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel, the foreign ministry said.
An Etihad Airways chartered flight carrying 203 Koreans and their three foreign spouses departed from Abu Dhabi at 5:35 p.m., according to the ministry. The plane was expected to arrive at Incheon International Airport at around 2 a.m. Monday.
Korea has been seeking to bring home some 3,000 nationals stranded in the UAE due to flight disruptions amid escalating tensions in the Middle East after U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran began in late February.
Around 1,500 Koreans, including those aboard the chartered plane, have left the UAE since flights heading to and departing from the country resumed.
The foreign ministry has dispatched a joint rapid response team to the UAE to assist evacuation operations. The Korean Embassy in the UAE began receiving applications early Saturday from Korean nationals wishing to board the chartered plane.
Source: Korea Times News
