김진아 외교부 제2차관이 4일 서울 종로구 정부서울청사에서 브리핑을 하고 있다. [사진=연합뉴스]

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SEOUL, March 05 (AJP) -Seoul is mulling to send chartered planes and military transport aircraft to bring home South Korean nationals stranded across the Middle East as commercial flights remain disrupted by the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran, government officials said Wednesday.

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina said the government is reviewing multiple options, including dispatching aircraft and additional rapid-response teams, to assist citizens attempting to leave the region.

“The government is considering deploying chartered planes and military transport aircraft, as well as dispatching additional joint rapid-response teams,” Kim said during a joint briefing after an interagency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok to assess the evolving Middle East situation.

Authorities are continuing to track the status of South Korean nationals stranded in the United Arab Emirates and other countries while coordinating with relevant ministries to secure safe and swift returns.

About 17,000 South Koreans are estimated to be stranded across roughly 10 Middle Eastern countries affected by the conflict, according to the foreign ministry. The figure excludes short-term travelers. Officials warned that the crisis could prolong or escalate and assured to prioritize the safety of nationals.

South Koreans stranded in Iran were safely moved to neighboring Turkmenistan on March 3, 2026 (Yonhap)

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Earlier this week, around 140 South Koreans and their foreign family members were evacuated from Iran, Israel and Bahrain and relocated to neighboring countries. On Tuesday, 24 South Koreans in Iran were moved to Turkmenistan, while 66 in Israel were evacuated to Egypt.

“The foreign ministry will mobilize all available resources and assets to ensure that no South Korean nationals are harmed amid the situation in the Middle East,” Kim said.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok instructed ministries to draw up detailed contingency plans to address the widening fallout from the conflict, including ensuring the safety of Korean citizens and closely monitoring financial and currency markets. He also urged officials to respond proactively to difficulties faced by Korean companies operating in the region.

The foreign ministry later held a separate meeting with embassy officials from 14 countries across the Middle East and surrounding areas, including Iran, Israel, Turkmenistan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, to discuss ways to facilitate departures, particularly for short-term travelers, as airline operations remain unstable.

Meanwhile, travel agencies have begun arranging alternative routes for stranded tourists. About 40 customers of Hana Tour departed Dubai on Wednesday morning and arrived in Taipei the same day, where they will stay overnight before returning to Incheon on a Korean Air flight Thursday.

Of roughly 540 customers from Hana Tour and Mode Tour currently in the Middle East, about 240 are in Dubai. Travel firms are coordinating with airlines to secure additional connecting flights from Thursday, while monitoring whether scheduled direct flights from Dubai to Incheon resume without disruption.

Industry officials said Cairo’s airport remains fully operational, allowing travelers evacuated there to return home through rerouted commercial flights.

Yoon Juhye 기자 jujusun@ajunews.com

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