Free in Korea, 270,000 Yen in Japan... Controversy Over Israel Escape Costs, Japanese Government Says "Appropriate"

Criticism Arises in Japan Over 'Talchulbiyong'

The Japanese government has sparked controversy after it was revealed that it charged Japanese citizens who wished to leave Israel for the cost of charter flight tickets. Amid the tense situation in Israel due to armed conflict with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the Japanese government was criticized for its stingy response in charging evacuation fees. In response, the Japanese government stated that their actions were "appropriate."

At a press conference on the morning of the 16th, Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary and spokesperson for the Japanese government, was asked, "South Korean military aircraft allowed free boarding, but Japanese government charter flights required a payment of 30,000 yen (about 270,000 won). Do you think this response was appropriate?" He replied, "I think it was appropriate."

Palestinian militant group Hamas's surprise attack on Israel left our nationals and other residents stranded, who arrived on the night of the 14th at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and are disembarking from the Republic of Korea Air Force's KC-330 'Cygnus' multi-purpose aerial refueling transport aircraft. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Earlier, the Japanese government arranged a charter flight to transport eight Japanese citizens wishing to leave Israel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Each passenger paid 30,000 yen.

In contrast, our government operated a military transport plane free of charge to evacuate Korean nationals in Israel. On the 13th, the government dispatched one Air Force KC-330 Cygnus multipurpose aerial refueling transport aircraft to Tel Aviv, Israel, and on the 14th, it arrived in Korea carrying 163 Koreans along with 57 foreign nationals, including 51 Japanese citizens.

Notably, among the approximately 230 available seats on the Cygnus transport plane, after accommodating Korean evacuees, there were remaining seats which were offered to the Japanese side and others on humanitarian grounds.

Upon learning of these facts, Japanese netizens expressed gratitude toward the South Korean government's response while voicing criticism toward the Japanese government. As clashes between Israel and Hamas intensified, making it difficult for civilian airlines to operate flights to Tel Aviv Airport, the Japanese government's decision to operate a paid charter flight was deemed inappropriate.

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