A special flight carrying 322 nationals touched down in South Korea early Tuesday, part of a broader government-assisted effort that has seen thousands of citizens depart the Middle East over the past week.
South Korea’s foreign ministry confirmed that approximately 6,300 nationals left 14 countries across the region in the seven days leading up to Monday, bringing the total number of South Koreans still in those countries down to roughly 14,700 — from an estimated 21,000 the previous Tuesday.
Among those assisted was a group of 17 people, including one foreign national, whom the South Korean Embassy in Iraq helped travel to Kuwait on Monday.
Short-term travelers account for a notable portion of the departures. Their numbers across the 14 countries dropped from around 4,100 to approximately 2,100 over the same period, according to the ministry.
The special flight that landed Tuesday had departed from Qatar. The ministry said it has been actively working to facilitate safe departures from the region as the military conflict continues to expand.
