Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
| Koreans, evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran on a Korean government-chartered flight, arrive at Incheon International Airport, Thursday. / Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
The government faces a quandary over whether to send charter flights to retrieve Koreans from coronavirus-hit countries amid growing calls for rescues.
Some Koreans who reside in countries that have currently suspended direct flights to Korea due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are calling on the government to arrange charter flights despite having alternative options.
According to the Consular Assistance for the Protection of Overseas Korean Nationals Act, assistance is provided only if an overseas Korean national faces problems from an incident or accident that cannot be settled by any other means, such as by themselves, with the help of a relative or through the laws of the country they are in.
The government initially chartered three flights to evacuate about 850 Korean nationals from the city of Wuhan, China, in January and February. Since then, the government has also chartered flights for Korean passengers on a cruise ship docked in Yokohama, Japan, and Iran.
However, the latest charter flight decision to fly two planes to Italy ― one for Rome and the other for Milan ― is raising questions over necessity. According to the foreign ministry, the Korean community in Italy has had trouble in arranging a charter flight with local airlines, so the government stepped in to charter a flight for evacuation. The Mediterranean country has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases behind China.
Some point out that other than a charter flight, those who are now in Italy can still leave by transiting through other countries.
"There are other options for them other than flying back to Korea, but they only depend on the government," an internet user said on an online community.
Along with Italy, 10,000 Koreans in the Philippines are calling for charter flights due to the lack of non-stop commercial flights to Korea.
In addition, given that an arrangement of a charter flight requires using taxpayers' money although the passengers pay part of the fare, the special transport needs to be one of last resort, according to the foreign ministry.
The government already used a 1 billion won ($783,000) from the budget assigned this year for emergency financial assistance for overseas Koreans in chartering flights and it is now considering seeking supplementary money.
Meanwhile, 200 Koreans stranded in Peru, including volunteers from the Korean Agency for International Cooperation, are expected to return home on a chartered flight through Mexican airline Aeromexico.
According to the Korean Embassy in the South American country, they will leave the Peruvian capital of Lima, Thursday (local time), for Incheon with a refuel layover in Mexico City. A domestic flight is also planned to bring Koreans from the tourist town of Cusco to Lima. The airfare from Lima to Incheon is 3.7 million won, while one for the domestic route costs $400.
The Peruvian government closed its borders and halted all flights amid the coronavirus outbreak, March 15.
The administration is also considering sending a charter flight to South Sudan to extract 210 rotational troops of the 270-service personnel Hanbit Unit without sending replacements. The country asked Korea and other countries not to send fresh troops due to growing concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the defense ministry, Monday.
