26 Sudanese Residents Arrive in Korea Today... "Yoon Keeps Promise on National Safety"

Yoon Gives Instructions Until Just Before Escape from Private Jet
Bus Carrying Korean Residents Travels 850km Safely
Thanks to Allies Including US, UAE, and Saudi Arabia for Operation Support
Government Provides Convenience Such as Health Checks After Korean Residents Arrive in Korea

Among the 28 Korean nationals evacuated through our government's 'Promise' operation from Sudan, Africa, where armed clashes occurred, 26 who wish to return will arrive at Seoul Airport on the 25th.

The Presidential Office evaluated that the success of rescuing all evacuees was possible because President Yoon Suk-yeol personally directed the operation from start to finish to ensure promptness, fulfilling his promise to take full responsibility for the lives and safety of the people.

Kim Eun-hye, Chief of Public Relations, stated during a briefing at the press center set up in Washington D.C. that President Yoon commanded the Sudan evacuation operation aboard the presidential aircraft en route to his state visit to the United States. She added, "President Yoon connected in real-time via satellite to the Yongsan Presidential Office Crisis Management Center, presiding over video conferences to receive situation reports and give instructions until just before the evacuees' escape to ensure their safe withdrawal."

Koreans who evacuated from Sudan arrived at Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia on the 24th (local time) and are disembarking from the transport aircraft.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The operation was named 'Promise' because, according to a Presidential Office official, it was "an operation to fulfill President Yoon's promise to take full responsibility for the lives and safety of the people."

Earlier, from the 21st when President Yoon was briefed on the Sudan situation, he formed a control tower centered on the National Security Office and ordered the dispatch of transport aircraft. He instructed related ministries such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense to form a task force (TF) for the evacuation of nationals and received real-time reports on the situation on the ground. Accordingly, the government dispatched an Air Force transport aircraft C-130J for the evacuation. Onboard the aircraft were about 50 personnel, including the Army Special Warfare Command (Special Forces) 707 Counterterrorism Special Mission Unit, Air Force Combat Control Team (CCT), security personnel, and medical staff. Additionally, President Yoon left Cho Tae-yong, Director of the National Security Office, in Seoul during his departure for the U.S. state visit to coordinate with related ministries and local authorities.

Diplomatic cooperation also played a significant role in the success of the Promise operation. The evacuees traveled by bus for 24 hours covering approximately 850 km from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, to Port Sudan military airfield the day before boarding the military transport aircraft. Since Khartoum International Airport was closed due to armed conflict, they chose to move overland to Port Sudan under the protection of UN forces.

During this process, our allied countries Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) actively engaged in diplomacy by proposing a ceasefire to the Sudanese government forces and rebels to allow the evacuation of nationals from third countries. A Presidential Office official explained that without the UAE, which controlled the intelligence network, it would have been difficult to evacuate the nationals overland.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Presidential Office also expressed deep gratitude to the United States, UAE, and Saudi Arabia for assisting in the evacuation. Lim Jong-duk, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, expressed thanks during a briefing the day before, saying, "Especially, the role of the UAE, a brotherly country that President Yoon visited on a state visit last January, was significant."

Our government also achieved the evacuation of Japanese nationals residing in Sudan alongside Korean nationals. Regarding this, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a press conference at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo the previous night, expressing gratitude by stating, "There was cooperation from Korea during the evacuation process of Japanese residents in Sudan."

Of the total 29 Koreans in Sudan, 26, excluding one who wishes to remain in Sudan and two who wish to stay in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the transit point, are scheduled to return home via Seoul Airport at 4 p.m. today. The government plans to provide conveniences such as health checks as soon as they return.

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