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UAE passenger jet carrying Korean nationals departs Middle East amid tensions

Published: 06 Mar. 2026, 19:56 Updated: 06 Mar. 2026, 20:02

Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to the president, gives a briefing at the Blue House on March 6 on efforts to help Korean nationals return from the United Arab Emirates and secure crude oil supplies. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Korea's presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Friday that a large passenger jet from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) carrying Korean nationals had departed Dubai and was on its way to Korea amid tensions in the Middle East following the U.S. military operation against Iran.

“It is expected to land at Incheon International Airport at around 7:30 p.m. today,” Kang said at a briefing at the Blue House press center.

“To help Korean nationals staying in the Middle East return home safely, we held consultations with the UAE side,” Kang said. “Late last night, the resumption of commercial passenger flights departing the UAE was finalized.”

Kang explained that the consultations involved Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority and the UAE’s point man for cooperation with Korea, and were followed by additional talks between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

“There are currently 18,000 Korean nationals staying in 14 Middle Eastern countries,” Kang said. “Of them, about 4,900 are short-term visitors, and among those short-term visitors, 3,500 are waiting to return home from the UAE and Qatar after flight cancellations.” He added that Seoul would continue consultations with the UAE to bring all Korean nationals home as quickly as possible.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told a full meeting of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Friday that the UAE had agreed to operate one commercial flight a day to Incheon starting that day.

“The UAE has also agreed to accept our Korean Air charter flight,” Cho said. “As a result, the plan to go to Oman, where there were various risks, has been canceled. The rapid response team that had been in Oman is now moving to the UAE.”

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun answers lawmakers’ questions at a full meeting of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on March 6. [LIM HYUN-DONG]

When liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Sang-wook asked whether the United States had requested any military or nonmilitary support or cooperation from Korea, Cho answered, “No.”

Asked whether U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops or equipment were being moved, Cho noted that Seoul and Washington had been in close communication, but added, “It is difficult for me to confirm matters related to the operation of U.S. Forces Korea.” He added, “Even in this kind of situation, we are making it clear that there will be no problem with the combined Korea-U.S. defense posture.”

Recent signs of movement involving Patriot air defense assets operated by the USFK have fueled speculation that they could again be deployed to the Middle East. The 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery, part of the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, returned in October 2025 after being deployed earlier that year to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

As U.S. officials have emphasized the “strategic flexibility” of the USFK, concerns have been raised that such asset movements could become more frequent.

Cho also noted that, regarding follow-up security consultations on the Korea-U.S. Joint Fact Sheet, Seoul and Washington had agreed that the Korean team would travel to the United States first.

“The U.S. delegation’s visit to Korea had already been delayed because of scheduling issues,” Cho said. “Now the outbreak of war has made another delay unavoidable.”

Earlier, the Foreign Ministry announced it was seeking to arrange a visit to Korea by the U.S. delegation in late February or early to mid-March. The two sides plan to discuss expanding Korea’s authority over uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of spent fuel rods.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]