"Over 1,200 Overseas Koreans in the Philippines Wishing to Return Home"... Plans to Deploy Large Aircraft and Increase Flights Under Consideration

About 140 Korean Travelers Stranded in Peru Hope to Return Home... Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Requesting Peru Government to Allow Return"
Italy Conducts Demand Survey Centered on Local Korean Community... Over 350 Hope to Return Home

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] It has been confirmed that 1,200 overseas Koreans wish to return home following the Philippine government's lockdown of Luzon Island, which includes the capital Manila. However, the Philippine authorities abruptly withdrew their plan to allow foreigners to leave only within 72 hours (until midnight on the 19th) after the Luzon lockdown, providing some relief for the evacuation of overseas Koreans.

A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters on the 17th, "Regarding the Luzon Island lockdown in the Philippines, it has been investigated that about 1,200 people wish to return home," adding, "I understand that various return plans are being considered, such as changing existing flights to larger aircraft or increasing the number of flights." It is known that about 50,000 to 60,000 overseas Koreans reside on Luzon Island.

In Italy, about 350 people have been identified as wishing to return home. The local Korean association is taking the lead in arranging flights. The association plans to complete the demand survey by 6 p.m. local time on the 17th and negotiate with Korean Air aiming for departure on the 21st.

The senior official explained, "Even if the government does not charter an aircraft, it is understood that flights can be operated independently," and added, "By deploying additional national carrier flights, overseas Koreans wishing to return home will be able to do so."

In Peru, where border closures have been implemented, about 150 travelers are stranded. Among them, it is known that 84 Koreans are in the Cusco region, which is 1,000 km away from Lima. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is requesting the host government to allow the return of these Korean travelers and is also considering using temporary flights from other countries to facilitate their return.

The senior official said, "About 140 Korean travelers wish to return from Peru, and we need to find ways to move them to Korea," adding, "We are also considering transporting Korean travelers from Cusco to the capital Lima, a distance of 1,000 km."

As multiple consular assistance needs arise simultaneously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has begun operating a cooperation and division of labor system between headquarters and regions. This is because the number of countries controlling entry and exit is rapidly increasing as the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) spreads worldwide.

The senior official explained, "As the number of countries controlling entry and exit increases, protecting overseas Koreans has become an important issue," and added, "Within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, each regional bureau shares consular duties and collaborates with local embassies and consulates general."

The senior official also revealed that requests for the supply and export of diagnostic kits and other items to Korea are flooding in from countries around the world. It is known that such requests have been received not only by the Minister of Foreign Affairs but also by the Prime Minister.

The official said, "Many countries are requesting diagnostic kits from Korea, fearing a sudden explosive increase in confirmed cases in their own countries," and added, "There are proposals for emergency imports, and in some cases, requests to dispatch experts."

Meanwhile, due to the COVID-19 situation, bilateral and multilateral diplomacy is rapidly shifting to non-face-to-face formats. The six-country foreign ministers' consultation held from 11 p.m. on the 15th to 12:20 a.m. the next day was conducted by phone, and the health authorities' meeting between Korea and Chile scheduled for the 18th will also be held via video conference.

The senior official said, "Although discussions by phone have happened in the past, these days, as business trips and face-to-face meetings are restricted, diplomacy through other means is very active," and added, "I think non-face-to-face diplomacy will become more active once the COVID-19 situation settles."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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