Among the Korean citizens staying in Israel, who were attacked by the Palestinian armed political faction Hamas, 191 people will return home on the 10th (local time).
An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on this day, “At 1:45 p.m. local time (7:45 p.m. Korean time) on the 10th, Korean citizens who were staying for a short period of time in Israel are scheduled to return to Korea on a Korean Air passenger plane.”
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in addition to these 191 people, 27 Korean citizens staying for a short period of time in Israel are scheduled to travel to nearby Jordan by land on this day. Another 30 people are scheduled to leave Israel on a Turkish Airlines flight on the 12th.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of Korean nationals in Israel who were staying short-term was initially known to be 360. However, in addition to those who entered Israel on a direct flight from Korean Air (003490), an additional 122 people were confirmed to have entered the country on flights from third countries, bringing the total to about 480.
In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that there are about 570 long-term residents of Korean nationality, including Korean residents in Israel. By region, there are about 290 people in the capital Jerusalem, 210 people in Tel Aviv, 20 people in the West Bank, and 50 people in other regions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that for the remaining 230 short-term residents whose departure schedule for Israel has not yet been determined, “we are providing guidance on leaving the country by air or land.”
Hamas began an attack on the morning of the 7th (local time), firing thousands of rockets targeting southern and central Israel and areas near Jerusalem, and Israel also launched a counterattack.
Accordingly, on the afternoon of the 8th, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintained the travel advisory for the Gaza Strip (Level 4, travel ban) and the West Bank and within 5km of the Gaza Strip (Level 3, departure advisory), and the existing ‘Level 2’ (travel advisory) for other areas. After raising the alert to ‘special travel advisory’ (level 2.5), Korean citizens staying in the country are being advised to “depart for a third country if possible.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs understands that there have been no casualties among Korean citizens staying in Israel, including short-term and long-term residents, following Hamas’s latest attack.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.