A chartered plane has been dispatched from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to repatriate hundreds of South Koreans stranded in the region due to the escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. The flight, operated by Etihad Airways, is carrying 203 South Koreans along with their three foreign spouses. Departing from Abu Dhabi at 5:35 p.m. Korean time, the plane is scheduled to land at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, around 2 a.m. on Monday.
South Korea has been actively working to bring back approximately 3,000 of its nationals who have been unable to return home from the UAE due to flight disruptions caused by the heightened tensions in the Middle East following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. About 1,500 South Koreans, including those on the chartered flight, have already departed from the UAE since the resumption of flights to and from the country.
To support the evacuation efforts, the South Korean Foreign Ministry has deployed a joint rapid response team to the UAE. The South Korean Embassy in the UAE has been processing applications from nationals who wish to board the chartered plane since early Saturday. Additionally, travel alerts for Bahrain, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan have been raised by the ministry to Level 3, advising nationals to consider leaving these countries unless absolutely necessary.
