The South Korean government sent a charter flight to Iran on Thursday and evacuated 80 people from the Middle Eastern country, which is struggling with a severe coronavirus outbreak.

The Asiana Airlines flight departed from Al Maktoum International Airport near Dubai at 8:05 a.m. (Korean time), carrying 74 Korean nationals and six Iranian family members, and arrived at Incheon International Airport on Thursday at around 4:30 pm. The passengers had flown to Dubai on an Iran Air flight.

Upon arrival here, the evacuees will stay one to two days at a government-run Korea International Cooperation Agency facility in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to be tested for COVID-19. If they test negative, they will be sent home and go into self-isolation for two weeks.

The evacuation was initially planned for last week, but consultations with the Iranian authorities took longer than expected.

Iran is battling the worst outbreak of COVID-19 in the Middle East, with more than 17,000 infections and a death toll of 1,135. Outbound flights from Tehran are virtually suspended as many countries have barred entry to people traveling from Iran over coronavirus fears. 

The country is struggling to contain the virus due to a lack of medical facilities, equipment and staff, in part because of the crippling sanctions imposed on the country by the US, which have limited access to medicines and food.

There are still some 100 Korean nationals left in Iran.

This is the third government evacuation mission carried out because of COVID-19. Korea has sent flights to evacuate Korean nationals from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, as well as from the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan.

“At the moment, there is no plan for dispatching another government charter flight,” said a senior Foreign Ministry official, stressing a government-operated flight is used as “last resort” when all flights and transportations are cut. “At places where flights are still available, the government is supporting that process.”

As the virus spreads to almost every corner of the planet, a growing number of Koreans are seeking to return home as it appears Korea has made some progress in curbing the epidemic. Some Korean nationals are stranded in countries that have closed their borders.

In Italy, where the COVID-19 death toll is 2,978 and the virus has hit harder than anywhere else outside of China, some 500 Korean residents wish to return home on a charter flight. The residents are arranging the flight with Korean Air while consulting with related ministries here.

Some 177 Korean travelers stranded in Peru expressed wish to return, where the Peruvian government abruptly announced the closure of the country’s borders and imposed a nationwide quarantine for 15 days.

Eighty-four of the stranded Koreans are in Cusco, about 1,000 kilometers away from the capital, Lima. Embassy officials are consulting with the Peruvian authorities and asking them to make an exception so that the Koreans can return home, possibly via a third country.

“We are seeking ways for people to return to Korea from Peru, as well as arrange transportation between Cusco and Lima,” a senior official at the Foreign Ministry said. “We will also consider deploying a temporary flight, while monitoring the situation.”

After Ecuador closed its borders, 56 volunteers from the KOICA and 14 other Korean residents and travelers had planned to return to Korea after taking an Ecuadorian charter flight to the US. But the plan was canceled at the last minute as flights from the US to Korea are limited. KOICA volunteers will stay in Ecuador and work from home for now, according to the Korean Embassy in Ecuador.

Korean nationals in the Philippines are on alert after the government ordered a monthlong lockdown on Luzon, the largest Philippine island, which includes Manila.

Luzon has around 60,000 Korean residents, and 1,200 have expressed a desire to return. 

The government allowed foreigners to depart anytime during the monthlong lockdown, lifting the initial 72-hour deadline. Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have decided to dispatch bigger planes with more seats to meet the demand of returnees.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)