Translation result
South Korean citizens who had been isolated in the Middle East amid fallout from fighting involving the U.S., Israel and Iran were flown home on a government military transport.
Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Defense Ministry said a KC-330 “Cygnus” multi-role aerial refueling and transport aircraft carrying 211 people — 204 South Koreans, five family members of foreign nationality and two Japanese nationals — touched down at Seongnam Seoul Airport at about 5:59 p.m. on the 15th.
The Cygnus departed South Korea on the morning of the 14th, arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that afternoon (local time), and left that evening bound for South Korea with evacuees onboard.
Citizens who had been in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Lebanon were consolidated in Riyadh to board the transport.
Those in Kuwait traveled by bus to Riyadh under the embassy’s guidance, while evacuees from Lebanon reached Riyadh by commercial flight.
Designated Operation “Desert Light,” the mission required transit clearances from more than 10 countries along the route. The government also dispatched a rapid response team led by former Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong to the region.
About 30 personnel — including Air Force pilots, Combat Control Team (CCT) specialists, and maintenance and medical crews — were aboard the Cygnus to secure the operation.
Earlier diplomatic negotiations secured commercial and charter flights for Koreans in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, which officials said largely addressed the needs of short-term residents there.
However, some citizens remained in other countries inside the conflict zone and could not move to the UAE or Qatar. After deliberation, authorities decided to dispatch the military transport to Riyadh, a Foreign Ministry official said.
Officials also consulted local carriers and Korean Air about civilian or charter options to Riyadh but, citing safety concerns, opted to use the military aircraft.
This is the seventh time the Air Force has deployed a Cygnus — one of four in its fleet — to evacuate nationals overseas.
The most recent prior mission was in 2024, when a Cygnus flew into Lebanon amid Israeli ground operations against Hezbollah and evacuated 96 citizens and others.
Under applicable rules and local conditions, the government plans to charge adult passengers roughly 880,000 KRW (about $660) each.
Most Commented