With the novel coronavirus spreading fast around the world, a growing number of South Koreans living in hard-hit countries such as Italy and France are seeking to flee home.

There are some 5,000 Korean nationals residing in Italy, where COVID-19 has killed more than 2,000 people and sickened nearly 28,000, making it the worst-affected country outside of China, where the virus emerged late last year.

Korean residents there are arranging a charter flight to Korea, according to news reports.

Since early this week, the Association of Koreans Residing in Italy has been checking to see how many people want a seat if a charter flight can be arranged. As of now, about 230 people have expressed a desire to return, meeting the Korean Air requirement of at least 200.

It will be up to the national flag carrier to decide whether to operate a charter flight, and if so to determine the schedule and airfare. Once the logistics are sorted out, the flight is expected to take off this weekend from either Rome or Milan.

For now, the Korean government is not planning a government airlifting operation like the one it carried out in January for Koreans stranded in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak at the time. “There are still flights available in Europe, so at the moment, we are not considering to dispatch a government chartered flight,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity. 

Korean residents and students in France are also seeking to leave the country, which just announced a lockdown for 15 days upon seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases. France has reported 6,663 confirmed cases and 148 deaths.

The French government has reportedly recommended that about 8,000 international students residing at the International University Campus in Paris, a housing complex for international students and researchers, return home.

The Korean Education Center of France is checking with the some 230 Korean students residing in the complex to see how many would like to return home.

Korean Air operates daily direct flights between the two countries, while Asiana Airlines has suspended the route for now. The Korean Embassy in France said it was communicating with the Korean carriers, as many Korean residents of France have inquired about flights home.

The embassy said Korean Air was considering sending a bigger plane with more seats if needed, while Asiana could consider resuming flights.

Meanwhile, some 150 Korean travelers are stuck in Peru, as the government abruptly announced the closure of the country’s borders starting Tuesday and imposed a nationwide quarantine for 15 days.

Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said there are also travelers from other countries stranded in Peru, such as the US, China and Japan, and it is working with these countries to evacuate their citizens.

“The Korean Embassy officials are talking with Peruvian authorities to enable Koreans to return home,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said. “Peru has blocked people from leaving the country without advance notice. We are urging Peruvian government to take a responsible measure.”

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