[On-site Video] "Now Free" Afghan Arrives in Korea... Children Hugging Teddy Bears with Bright Smiles

[Asia Economy Reporters Seunggon Han, Jingun Yoon, and Kyungdo Lee] On the 26th, 378 Afghans who had cooperated with the Korean government in Afghanistan and their families finally set foot on Korean soil. Despite the long 11-and-a-half-hour flight, Afghan children emerged from the Incheon International Airport arrival hall with excited expressions. This is the first time the government has accepted a large number of foreigners from conflict zones.

After completing immigration inspection and COVID-19 PCR tests, they began to appear one by one from 6:05 PM. Some responded to reporters with hand waves.

While the adults showed clear signs of fatigue, the children wearing hijabs displayed bright expressions, sticking out their tongues playfully. Some children tightly held teddy bears and rabbit dolls given by our government to welcome their arrival.

The arrival of Afghan nationals continued for over two hours. Around 8:14 PM, all Afghan families exited the arrival hall and boarded prepared buses. They are scheduled to stay one night at a hotel in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, while awaiting PCR test results.

Afghan nationals who test negative will be transferred to the National Human Resources Development Institute for Public Officials in Jincheon, Chungbuk, where they will undergo a 14-day quarantine. Those who test positive will receive treatment at residential treatment centers or medical institutions before moving back to Jincheon. They will live temporarily at the institute for 6 to 8 weeks, receiving adaptation education to help them become familiar with Korean culture.

Despite ongoing debates over their arrival, citizens showed a generally positive attitude upon hearing the news. Kim, a company employee in his 30s who confirmed the arrival of Afghan nationals at Incheon Airport through the news, said, "Seeing the Afghan children, I think they must have gone through a lot of hardship. Now that they are free, I hope they can put all their worries aside."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice has initiated amendments to related laws to allow Afghan helpers and their families entering under the special contribution visa status to stay long-term in Korea.

Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice, held a briefing at Incheon International Airport on the day and stated, "We will issue residence (F-2) long-term stay visas, which allow long-term employment, to Afghan helpers so that they can become self-reliant and live in Korea."

The Ministry of Justice explained the purpose of the amendment as "to support foreigners who have made special contributions or contributed to the public interest in the Republic of Korea to stay stably by granting F-2 visas and allowing unrestricted employment activities."

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