The second charter flight departs at 5 a.m. KST on the 25th
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As the Israeli government decided to impose departure measures on Korean tourists to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) within the country, the first temporary flight provided by the Israeli government departed for Korea at 11 PM on the 24th (4 PM local time). The cost of the temporary flight is fully covered by Israel.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the day, the Israeli government provided two temporary flights to support the early return of Koreans wishing to return home during their travels, and about 400 travelers are expected to return through these flights.
The first temporary flight departed at 11 PM Korea time on the 24th (4 PM local time), and the second temporary flight will depart at 5 AM Korea time on the 25th (10 PM local time).
An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The Embassy of Korea in Israel negotiated with the Israeli government and provided consular assistance necessary for the return of Koreans, including departure guidance," adding, "We will continue to support so that our travelers do not experience inconvenience during the return process through additional temporary flight operations."
The Israeli government announced on the day that it would ban the entry of foreigners who visited Korea and Japan, where COVID-19 infections surged. Prior to this, the Israeli government banned the entry of 177 Koreans aboard Korean Air flight KE957, which arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel, on the afternoon of the 22nd without prior consultation with the Korean government.
It is known that about 1,000 Koreans were temporarily staying in Israel for tourism purposes. Among them, about 500 reportedly left Israel via flights transiting through Moscow and Thailand.
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