'Diagnostic Kits' Play a Key Diplomatic Role in the COVID-19 Crisis

Koreans Return on Morocco Special Flight Transporting 'Bangyeokmulpum' Quarantine Supplies
Kuwait, Serbia, and Others Support Korean Repatriation... Korean Government Provides Quarantine Supplies
Special Flights Also Allow Businesspeople Entry... Exceptional Entry Permitted for 2,842 People from 9 Countries

A special flight from Morocco carrying diagnostic kits and other quarantine supplies landed at Incheon Airport at 8:55 a.m. on the 14th. A total of 32 people, including 31 Korean nationals and one Moroccan spouse, arrived in Korea on this special flight. The flight departed for Morocco at 10:50 a.m. carrying diagnostic kits and other supplies. (Photo by Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Although countries worldwide are closing their borders due to the global spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), South Korea’s leading quarantine status and the attention garnered by Korean-made diagnostic kits are playing a crucial bridging role for the return of overseas Koreans and economic exchanges. Cases are expected to continue, especially in African and Latin American countries with relatively weak quarantine systems.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related agencies on the 14th, at 8:55 a.m. that day, a special flight from Morocco carrying 31 Korean nationals and one Moroccan spouse, totaling 32 people, arrived at Incheon Airport. This special flight then departed for Morocco again at 10:50 a.m., carrying Korean-made quarantine supplies such as diagnostic kits. This is the second time since the Moroccan government dispatched an aircraft on the 2nd to transport Korean-made quarantine supplies, bringing back about 100 Koreans.

Morocco, with a relatively vulnerable quarantine system, opened the way for isolated Koreans to return home through a special flight transporting Korean-made diagnostic kits. The Moroccan government initially planned to deploy only cargo planes to import Korean-made diagnostic kits and other medical supplies but deployed a special flight following the directive of King Mohammed VI of Morocco. On the 30th of last month, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha had a phone call at the request of Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, and the discussions on supplying diagnostic kits and supporting the return of overseas Koreans aligned.

The Koreans who returned in two rounds had been negotiating with Qatar Airways to arrange temporary flights to Korea but were stranded due to mismatched operating conditions such as the number of passengers. In this situation, the Moroccan government’s support for transporting nationals of other countries twice using its chartered planes is considered exceptional.

The special charter flight arranged by the Kuwaiti government shuttled between Incheon International Airport and Kuwait City International Airport, transporting 106 representatives of 25 Korean companies and 225 overseas Koreans in Kuwait. Another flight will sequentially transport 400,000 Korean-made diagnostic kit tests.

This special charter flight operation in Kuwait is the first case in about a month to reopen the closed air route. On the 1st, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha had a phone call at the request of Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmed Nasser Muhammad Al-Sabah, requesting exceptional entry measures for businesspeople, and Minister Ahmed requested the purchase of Korean-made diagnostic kits and other medical supplies, accelerating the process. The Kuwaiti government had suspended all international flights from the Middle East region on the 11th of last month, effectively blocking foreign entry.

Following Minister Kang, Minister Kim Hyun-mi of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport sent a letter to the Kuwaiti Minister of Oil, and even the Speaker of the National Assembly, the head of the legislative branch, got involved. After the exceptional entry for businesspeople was allowed, a letter of appreciation in the name of Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun was also sent. This was the result of mobilizing high-ranking officials from the executive and legislative branches. A Foreign Ministry official explained, “It is meaningful that Kuwait recognized exceptions despite implementing a full entry ban.”

Serbia and Myanmar also partially lifted their closed borders for Korea. The Serbian government allowed five overseas nationals to board a small special flight to Korea transporting Korean-made medical equipment purchased by the Serbian Embassy in Korea, and Myanmar permitted the operation of a Korean Air special flight transporting locally produced protective suits, enabling stranded Koreans to return home on this flight.

Cases created through cooperation between the government and companies are also continuing. A charter flight by SK Innovation carrying about 110 overseas Koreans and expatriates staying in Hungary arrived at Incheon International Airport on the 7th. SK Innovation sent about 300 people, including its technical staff and partner company employees, to Hungary via the charter flight. This is the first case of a company negotiating with various governments to transport overseas Koreans back home.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 13,653 people from 61 countries have returned home through consular assistance, and 2,842 people were exceptionally allowed entry in nine countries.

A Foreign Ministry official said, “We are continuously negotiating at headquarters and local embassies to support exceptional entry for businesspeople,” adding, “Similar cases are expected to increase in the future.”

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