SEOUL: A flight carrying 192 South Koreans from Tel Aviv arrived at Incheon Airport in South Korea on Wednesday after a surprise attack by Hamas militants on Israel over the weekend forced airlines to suspend flights.
As per the South Korean foreign ministry’s update on Wednesday, approximately 570 South Koreans are believed to be residing in Israel for the long term, while around 230 are on short-term stays.
Jang Jeong-yoon, a 62-year-old passenger on the Korean Air flight, described the scene at Ben Gurion Airport as “crowded” and “hectic.” She had travelled to Israel to participate in the Sukkot festival. “Due to flight cancellations or delays, there was anxiety, and people were hurrying to leave the country,” she explained. Some family members of those aboard the flight were observed anxiously awaiting their arrival at Incheon Airport early on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, about 60 South Koreans who were in Israel reportedly relocated to Jordan, according to information from the foreign ministry. Foreign Minister Park Jin stated on Tuesday that there were no reported South Korean casualties. Many of the short-term South Korean visitors had embarked on their journey for a pilgrimage to the country.
Korean Air has cancelled flights from Incheon to Tel Aviv scheduled for Monday and Wednesday, with expectations of future flights experiencing irregularities.
