A South Korean military transport aircraft carrying more than 200 evacuees from the Middle East landed at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday evening, completing a government operation to bring home Korean nationals who had been stranded, amid escalating regional conflict.
The Air Force’s KC-330 Cygnus multirole aerial tanker touched down at 5:59 p.m. with 204 on board, along with five foreign family members and two Japanese nationals, according to the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry.
Family members waiting outside the base waved as the aircraft taxied toward the terminal area, while some passengers could be seen greeting them through the windows before disembarking.
The evacuees had gathered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after traveling from several additional countries in the region, including Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon, where flight disruptions and security concerns had made it difficult for foreign nationals to leave.
The evacuation mission, dubbed “Operation Desert Shine,” was launched after authorities determined that commercial and charter flight options were limited for South Koreans remaining in parts of the region.
Officials said preparations for the flight required securing overflight permissions from about 10 countries along the aircraft’s route within a single day.
Around 30 military personnel were on board the aircraft, including Air Force combat control team members responsible for security, as well as maintenance and medical staff.
The deployment marked the seventh time South Korea has used a military aircraft to evacuate nationals from overseas conflict zones, following a similar operation in Lebanon in 2024 that brought home 96 people.
Some evacuees said they had struggled to find flights home as commercial services were repeatedly canceled amid the conflict.
“It was scary hearing missiles at night,” said a 10-year-old evacuee who had been staying in Bahrain. “When we heard the sounds, we would run inside the house.”
Another passenger said relief set in once the evacuation flight departed Riyadh.
“Once we boarded the plane, we finally felt at ease,” the passenger said. “Until then we weren’t sure what might happen.”
President Lee Jae Myung said the safe return of the evacuees reflected “one-team” cooperation across government agencies, thanking officials from the Foreign and Defense ministries, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Air Force and overseas diplomatic missions for their efforts.
Passengers aboard the flight are expected to be charged transportation costs in accordance with government regulations, with officials indicating the fee will be roughly 880,000 won ($590) per adult.
The government said it will continue monitoring developments in the Middle East and take additional measures if needed to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals remaining in the region. (Joint Press Corps)
mjh@heraldcorp.com
