Other Measures to Repatriate Korean Nationals Overseas

Key Sectors inKorea’s Response to COVID-19

To solve the situation, the Korean government directly contacted a Korean airliner to support the repatriation of its nationals in Italy. A team consisting of seven members from the government’s Rapid Deployment Team was dispatched to bring back 309 nationals on March 30 and 205 nationals on March 31 (113 from Rome and 92 from Milan).

(Iraq) In the middle of July, 40% percent of the Korean workers who had returned home from Iraq tested positive for COVID-19. By that time, two Korean workers died from coronavirus in Iraq.

In an attempt to help Koreans who remained in Iraq to work at construction sites safely return home and prevent them from causing secondary infections on their way home, the Korean government decided to deploy special aircrafts to Iraq.

The government dispatched two KC-330 air refueling tankers and a Rapid Deployment Team.

On July 25, a total of 293 Korean workers safely arrived at Incheon Inter-national Airport and were transported to temporary quarantine facilities for diagnostic testing and 14-day quarantine.

All About Korea’s Response to COVID-19

(Negotiating to operate and expand non-regular commercial flights or change the type of aircrafts) In order to ensure the safe repatriation of nationals from other countries, it was essential to reopen international flights. Therefore, the Korean government strived for resumption of temporary commercial flights that had been suspended. Specifically, the Korean government held negotiations with other governments and commercial airliners to discuss ways to operate and expand non-regular commercial flights or change the type of aircrafts.

As a result, 24,237 nationals from 32 countries were brought back to Korea as of September 22. During the process, the Korean government closely consulted with its counterparts about the operation of temporary flights and also about associated procedures, including overflight approval of such commercial flights, issuing movement permits to allow people to go to the airport, and speedy issuance of transit visas.

(Providing support to use chartered flights of other countries) As part of the efforts to repatriate Korean nationals from countries where it was almost impossible to obtain flight tickets and extremely difficult to charter flights due to the small number of people wishing to return home, the Korean government actively consulted with other governments to allow Koreans to use the chartered flights arranged by other governments. As a result, 871 nationals flew back home from 54 countries as of September 22.

(Utilizing flights used for international cooperation) The Korean government made an agreement with other governments to allow using airplanes that are sent to receive or import medical supplies from Korean companies — such as testing kits, face masks, and personal protective equipment — or to invite Korean medical professionals for bringing Koreans back home. This was indeed a continued effort made by the Korean government to repatriate its nationals using the opportunities created when collaborating with other countries on disease control and prevention. As a result, 1,881 Koreans

Key Sectors inKorea’s Response to COVID-19

returned home from nine countries as of September 22.

(Utilizing flights used for the special entry of Korean businesspeople) In addition to supporting the repatriation of nationals overseas, it was also a key task of the Korean government to obtain special entry permits for Korean businesspeople who need to travel on business. To this end, the Korean government negotiated with other governments to allow special entry for Korean businesspeople, while seeking ways to bring Koreans back home on the return flights. Through such efforts, 3,613 nationals from seven countries came back to Korea as of September 22.

(Using the occasion of the dispatch of the Hanbit unit) Korea has been actively deploying its troops for United Nations peacekeeping operations in other nations. The Korean contingent, named the Hanbit unit, has been assigned to carry out UN peacekeeping operations in South Sudan. Plans were made to utilize the plane used to dispatch the 12^th batch of the Hanbit unit to South Sudan for helping Korean nationals in Africa return home. On May 20, the Korean government was able to bring back 60 Koreans from African countries such as Ghana, Sudan, and Ethiopia using the return flight of the plane that took the 12^th Hanbit unit to South Sudan.

(Supporting stranded sailors to disembark and return home) Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of Korean crew members and sailors ended up stranded on cruise ships and long-distance fishing vessels and were not able to disembark. Most countries did not allow sailors to disembark if they did not have a scheduled flight back to their home country.

However, because there is a high risk of contracting COVID-19 on ships, the Korean government decided to take action to help these people and actively sought ways to find flights to help them disembark and return home. As a result, 206 Koreans from 12 countries were able to come home as of September 22.

All About Korea’s Response to COVID-19

(Other forms of support) In addition to the abovementioned efforts, as of September 22, the Korean government brought back many more of its people from different countries: 4,749 Koreans from 54 countries by providing support for flight tickets and departure and 9,171 Koreans from nine countries by helping Korean communities overseas charter flights. The government also provided support to help 626 Koreans stranded in 16 countries move to other parts of the country where there is no lockdown.

(left) Transporting stranded Korean nationals (center) Linking humanitarian assistance and repatriation efforts (right) Cooperation between countries

(left) Using the occasion of the dispatch of the Hanbit unit (right) Operating special flights

Key Sectors inKorea’s Response to COVID-19