'Last Resort' Government Temporary Flights Deployed One After Another... 700 Italian Residents to Return Home Next Week

200 Koreans Including Travelers from Peru Returning This Week
Overseas Koreans Heading to Korea One After Another, Government Support Demand Expected to Increase
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Launches TF to Support Overseas Koreans' Return

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Following China’s Wuhan, a Japanese cruise ship, and Iran, the government has finally decided to deploy two temporary flights to evacuate overseas Koreans from Italy. As countries around the world impose entry restrictions and airport limitations, and as flight routes are being canceled one after another, cases requiring direct government intervention are increasing. With the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), many overseas Koreans are choosing to return to Korea, and demand for government support is expected to continue rising.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related agencies on the 24th, about 700 overseas Koreans in Italy will return home next week on two temporary flights departing from Milan and Rome. The number of overseas Koreans wishing to return was about 570 just last week but has increased significantly.

The temporary flights to Italy were directly arranged by the government. As the COVID-19 situation in Italy rapidly worsened, the Korean Association initially tried to arrange contracts with national airlines for temporary flights for those wishing to return, but when this proved difficult, the government stepped in. It is known that the national airline, which had been negotiating with the Korean Association, was reluctant to proceed with the contract independently without government support.

The government plans to finalize the number of returnees by confirming the final boarding status of overseas Koreans wishing to return by noon on the 24th. Although the government arranges these temporary flights, passengers must bear the fare themselves. The cost per person is about 2 million KRW for adults. A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "The deployment of temporary flights to Italy will likely be next week," adding, "Initially, there were means for self-transport in Italy, but as the situation worsened day by day, the government had no choice but to arrange the flights."

About 200 Korean travelers and KOICA volunteers stranded in Peru due to border closures will return home on a temporary flight this week. According to the Korean Embassy in Peru, an AeroMexico temporary flight from Lima, the capital of Peru, to Incheon Airport is scheduled for the 26th (local time) to assist the return of about 200 Koreans. This temporary flight was also arranged by the central government, but all costs are reportedly borne by the passengers.

Additionally, the Korean Association in Spain and others have recently been surveying overseas Koreans about their desire to return. The Spanish General Federation stated, "There are airlines departing for Korea, but since it is unclear when the number of passengers will be confirmed, Koreans who urgently wish to return are advised to depart individually," adding, "Charter flights require sufficient numbers and costs are borne individually, so if the number is insufficient, the cost burden may be high."

As the overseas COVID-19 situation worsens and more overseas Koreans seek to return to Korea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs finds itself in a difficult position. Although the ministry has established the principle that government-arranged temporary flights are a 'last resort,' the rapid deterioration of the overseas COVID-19 situation has increased cases requiring direct government support. Even in Italy, where return was initially encouraged via available local flights, the government ultimately had to arrange temporary flights directly. Demand for government support is expected to explode, especially in European and South American countries restricting entry and exit. In the Philippines, where at least 10,000 people wish to return, calls for government-arranged temporary flights are also growing.

The bigger issues are manpower and costs. Government temporary flights transport overseas Koreans and Korean travelers via ferry operations. Airfares are calculated based on round-trip flights, with the government covering half of the cost from its budget. The 1 billion KRW budget newly allocated this year for operating government temporary flights, called the 'Emergency Support Fund for Overseas Koreans,' has already been depleted. A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Medical staff accompany temporary flights, but domestically, medical personnel are almost fully occupied," adding, "It is difficult to have medical staff accompany temporary flights for the protection of overseas Koreans."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to maintain the principle that direct government arrangements are a last resort while supporting citizens wishing to return through the 'Overseas Korean Return Support Task Force (TF)' and overseas diplomatic missions. The TF includes Second Vice Minister Lee Tae-ho, Director Lee Sang-jin of the Overseas Koreans and Consular Affairs Office, the Overseas Safety Management Planning Officer, and regional bureaus.

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