South Korea Evacuates 211 from Middle East Tensions

A South Korean military transport aircraft carrying 204 nationals and several foreign passengers landed at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday evening, marking the completion of a government-led evacuation from the Middle East amid escalating regional tensions.

The KC-330 Cygnus multirole aerial tanker touched down around 6 p.m. local time, according to officials from the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry. On board were 204 South Korean citizens, five foreign family members of Korean nationals, and two Japanese nationals, for a total of 211 passengers. The Japanese individuals were included following coordination between the South Korean and Japanese embassies in Riyadh, reflecting bilateral cooperation agreements signed in 2024 for mutual support in emergencies abroad. Family members gathered outside the base waved to the arriving aircraft, and some evacuees waved back through the windows as they taxied to the terminal before disembarking.

The passengers had assembled in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after traveling from other parts of the region where commercial flights were severely disrupted. More than 140 were already in Saudi Arabia, while 24 came from...