Chinese Family of 70 to Board '3rd Charter Flight'... Rapid Response Team "All Entry and Exit Documents Printed and Ready for Departure"

About 10 Passportless Individuals Receive Emergency Passports at Wuhan Consulate
19 Chinese Including COVID-19 Recoverees Fly to Wuhan by Chartered Plane... Lee Sang-jin, Rapid Response Team Leader, "Opportunity for Korea-China Consultation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The government announced that it will prepare supporting documents in Korea for Chinese residents from Wuhan and their Chinese family members who do not have the necessary documents for immigration or passports, and transport them by chartered flight.

Lee Sang-jin, head of the government rapid response team (Director of the Overseas Koreans and Consular Affairs Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), met with reporters on the evening of the 11th at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport ahead of the scheduled departure of the 3rd chartered flight at 8:45 PM, saying, "Among those coming this time, there are people without passports and those who need family relationship certificates," and explained, "For those without passports, the Consulate General in Wuhan will issue emergency passports, and for those who need family relationship certificates, we are cooperating with the Court Administration Office to print all of them in Korea and take them along."

Unlike the 1st and 2nd chartered flights, the 3rd chartered flight allows not only Korean residents in China but also immediate family members with Chinese nationality to board due to changes in the Chinese government's policy. It is estimated that about 70 Chinese family members will enter Korea through this chartered flight.

Regarding the Chinese family members, Lee said, "There are about 70 Chinese nationals," and added, "We prepared family relationship certificates for all those coming this time, and among them, about 10 do not have passports."

The 3rd chartered flight is expected to arrive at Wuhan Tianhe Airport around midnight and depart for Korea early on the 12th. Since Chinese family members are included, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs anticipates that immigration and quarantine procedures may take longer than during the 1st and 2nd flights.

If about 170 people enter this time, it is expected that about 100 overseas nationals will remain in Wuhan. Lee stated, "We plan to continue consular assistance for overseas nationals through the Consulate General in Wuhan," and said there are no plans to send additional chartered flights.

The rapid response team boarding the chartered flight to Wuhan consists of 12 members, including Lee himself, Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff, medical personnel from the National Medical Center, and quarantine officers from the National Incheon Airport Quarantine Station. Also boarding are 19 Chinese nationals, including a woman who was the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in Korea and has since recovered.

Lee said, "Since there are no flights to Hubei Province, overseas nationals were isolated, and Chinese people in Korea could not return either," and added, "Chinese people from Hubei Province living in Korea had the opportunity to return through this temporary flight, and such an agreement was made between Korea and China."

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