Military Jet Returns 96 South Koreans from Lebanon Amid Tensions
A South Korean military aircraft successfully evacuated 96 nationals from Lebanon on Saturday, marking the country’s first evacuation operation as tensions in the region escalate, according to the foreign ministry.
The KC-330 military transport plane landed at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam around 12:50 p.m. local time. The aircraft had departed from Beirut on Friday afternoon after arriving earlier that day, having taken off from Busan on Thursday, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
Among those evacuated was one Lebanese national, a family member of a South Korean citizen, with over 30 percent of the evacuees being minors.
The evacuation plan was initiated due to heightened hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, complicating the exit of foreign nationals from the Middle East on commercial flights.
Kim Seo-kyoung, a 39-year-old mother who was the first to disembark with her two children, expressed gratitude for the operation, describing the perilous situation in Lebanon due to nighttime bombings. “Our house would shake from the bombings, and we couldn’t sleep properly,” she said.
The ministry assured that it would continue to monitor the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East closely to ensure the safety of its citizens, stating it would take all necessary protective measures.
On Wednesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the immediate dispatch of military transport aircraft for the evacuation. Approximately 130 South Koreans were in Lebanon as of that day, excluding diplomats and their families. Currently, some South Korean diplomats and around 30 nationals remain in the country.
In addition, there are about 110 South Koreans in Iran and 480 in Israel, according to the ministry.
This evacuation marked the latest use of military aircraft for repatriation from conflict zones. A KC-330 was previously sent to Israel last October following Hamas’ attacks, and in April 2023, it was used to evacuate 28 South Koreans from Sudan amid escalating violence.
Meanwhile, Israel has continued airstrikes, impacting suburban Beirut and severing the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, which has affected tens of thousands fleeing the violence.
In response to the crisis, the South Korean government plans to provide $3 million in humanitarian aid to Lebanon to assist those affected by the ongoing conflict. The foreign ministry has also issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Israel and Lebanon, urging South Koreans to leave immediately, with a Level 4 travel ban applied to border areas of both countries.