Charter Flight for Evacuating Wuhan Residents Delayed, Transported with One Plane... Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Departing Tonight, Full Coordination with Chinese Side" (Comprehensive)

Wuhan Consulate General "Delay in Chinese Approval, Gathering Notice Changed"... "Please Wait for Next Notice" Urgent Announcement
Government Considering Reducing Charter Flights from 2 to 1
President Moon Chairs Comprehensive Review Meeting... "Must Firmly Confront Excessive Anxiety and Vague Fear"

Amid delays in the charter flight schedule for transporting Korean residents living in Wuhan, China, a cancellation notice for the Wuhan-bound flight is displayed on the departure board at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on the 30th. (Multiple exposure) / Yeongjongdo = Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporters Lim Cheol-young and Son Sun-hee] The charter flight schedule, which was supposed to depart from Incheon Airport on the morning of the 30th to evacuate Korean nationals staying in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China?the epicenter of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia)?has been changed due to delays in approval from the Chinese government. The government is continuing negotiations with the Chinese side aiming for an evening departure and is reportedly considering reducing the number of charter flights from two to one.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the operation plans for two Korean Air charter flights scheduled to depart from Incheon Airport at 10 a.m. and noon were changed. The Korean Consulate General in Wuhan issued an urgent notice early in the morning stating, "Due to delays in approval from the Chinese side, the notice to gather at the tollgate by 10:45 a.m. for boarding the temporary flight on the 30th has been changed," and asked those currently staying there to wait for further announcements.

If the charter flights had departed as planned, the two flights would have each picked up about 370 Korean nationals locally at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively, and returned to Korea. A Korean Air official in charge of the charter flights said, "We have not yet been notified by the government about the timing of the flights," adding, "However, we are preparing crew deployment so that we can operate immediately once the Chinese authorities grant flight approval."

With the delay in deploying the charter flights, the government is continuing negotiations with the Chinese government through local diplomatic missions, aiming for an evening departure. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "We are continuing discussions with the Chinese government to dispatch the charter flight this evening." However, the official refrained from providing detailed reasons for the delay in Chinese government approval, making it difficult to confirm whether it is a simple delay.

Additionally, it is reported that the government is considering reducing the originally planned two charter flights to one. The government had planned to deploy two charter flights?an Airbus A330 with a capacity of about 270 passengers and a Boeing B747 with about 400 passengers?to repatriate approximately 720 Korean nationals over two days on the 30th and 31st.

Instead of transporting passengers by splitting them across two flights with spaced seating, the government is reportedly reconsidering to board all passengers on a single flight. This is interpreted as a response to the delay in the Chinese government's approval process. A government official said, "We are negotiating with the Chinese government to operate at least one charter flight this evening," and added, "We will do our best to ensure that our nationals can return home as soon as possible."

On the 30th, as public anxiety grows over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), residents of Asan clashed with the police near the Chungnam Asan Police Human Resources Development Institute, which was designated as the quarantine facility for evacuees from Wuhan. / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

◆ President Moon Chairs Inspection Meeting = President Moon Jae-in said on the day, "The repatriation of about 700 Korean nationals stranded in Wuhan, China, will begin today," and added, "The government will manage the situation thoroughly so that residents in areas where temporary living facilities are operated do not worry."

As countries worldwide are repatriating their nationals via charter flights amid the novel coronavirus outbreak originating from China, the Korean government is taking measures and directly addressing the opposition from residents near domestic quarantine areas.

At 10:30 a.m., President Moon chaired a 'Comprehensive Inspection Meeting on Novel Coronavirus Response' at the Government Complex Seoul, stating, "So far, no confirmed or suspected cases of infection have been identified among the local Korean nationals," and added, "According to consultations with the Chinese government, only those without symptoms after quarantine will board the temporary flights."

The facilities where the repatriated nationals will undergo quarantine are government training centers located in Asan, Chungnam Province, and Jincheon, Chungbuk Province. President Moon appealed to the strongly opposing nearby residents, saying, "I ask for your understanding and cooperation," and "I repeatedly promise that there is no need to be anxious."

He further stated, "What we must confront is not only the virus but also excessive anxiety and vague fear," warning, "The production and distribution of fake news that incites distrust and anxiety is a serious criminal act that obstructs quarantine efforts and endangers public safety." He also expressed concern about "excessive economic sentiment contraction," urging officials from related ministries to "make every effort to manage the economic situation."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ China's Aversion to the Term 'Charter Flight' = While the government is making every effort to send a charter flight to Wuhan this evening, it has been reported that the Chinese side has an aversion to the term 'charter flight.'

Park Chan-dae, floor spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, told reporters, "We have learned through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the Chinese authorities seem to strongly avoid the term 'charter flight' itself." It is said that the image of many people leaving at once on a charter flight gives the impression of an escape rush, causing discomfort.

Park added, "The Chinese side requests using terms like 'temporary flight' instead of 'charter flight.' The timing is still undecided but is expected to be this evening or at night."

Meanwhile, the charter flights deployed by the U.S. and Japanese governments have begun repatriating their nationals staying in Wuhan. The U.S. charter flight, on the morning of the 29th (local time), carried about 240 people, including staff from the U.S. Consulate in Wuhan and U.S. nationals, and arrived at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, about 100 km east of Los Angeles, California.

The Japanese government also deployed one charter flight to repatriate 206 Japanese residents from Wuhan on the previous day. On the morning of the day, a second charter flight brought back 210 people. The remaining approximately 230 people are scheduled to be transported sequentially by charter flights. Governments of France, Canada, Sri Lanka, India, and others are also negotiating with the Chinese government to repatriate their nationals via flights.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.