13 Overseas Koreans Returning on Government Charter Flights Due to COVID-19 with Unpaid Airfare

Three Korean Residents Entering from Wuhan, China Owe 300,000 KRW in Airfare... 13 Installment Payments
Assemblyman Kim Hong-gul: "Payment Fairness Issue... Ministry of Foreign Affairs Should Avoid Unnecessary Tasks"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] It has been confirmed that 13 overseas Koreans who returned to Korea on government-chartered flights deployed to bring back overseas Koreans wishing to return home to avoid the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) from Wuhan, China; Yokohama, Japan; Iran; Peru; and Italy have not yet paid their airfare.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee member Kim Hong-gul's office on the 6th, a total of 2,000 overseas Koreans entered the country on government-chartered flights provided to avoid COVID-19 overseas, and the airfare payment rate was confirmed to be 99%. However, four cases of airfare (300,000 KRW each) from overseas Koreans who entered from China in January and February, and five cases of airfare (2,000,000 KRW each) from overseas Koreans who entered from Italy in April, totaling 13 cases, have not been paid to date. In addition, eight cases of airfare from overseas Koreans who entered from Wuhan, China, two cases from Peru in March (3,200,000 to 3,700,000 KRW), and three cases from Italy are currently being paid in installments.

When entering using a chartered flight, a pledge to pay the airfare must be submitted. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently continuously urging payment by phone for those who have not paid.

Cases of overseas Koreans who entered the country on government-chartered flights to escape disasters overseas not paying airfare continue to occur. During the 2017 Bali Mount Agung eruption, our government urgently deployed chartered flights to transport our citizens back to the country and collected airfare. However, four of these cases did not pay airfare, and full payment was only completed in March of this year after litigation.

Assemblyman Kim Hong-gul pointed out, "Money is not an issue when safely evacuating citizens," but added, "However, it is problematic that some overseas Koreans who pledged to pay airfare upon entry pay honestly, while others do not."

He continued, "There also needs to be measures regarding the situation where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to make unnecessary calls or pursue litigation," adding, "If necessary, there should be consideration of legal revisions or system establishment."

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