South Korean tourists stranded in Dubai arrive at Incheon International Airport on March 5, 2026. Yonhap

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SEOUL, March 5 (AJP) - Some 36 South Korean tourists returned home on Thursday after being stranded amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The tourists, who were traveling on a package tour arranged by the country's largest travel agency Hana Tour, arrived at Incheon International Airport via Taipei at around 3:40 p.m. after being stuck in Dubai due to the United Arab Emirates (UAE)' closure of its airports following last week's U.S.-led airstrikes against Iran under the military operation of "Operation Epic Fury."

Another 39 tourists are also expected to return home later in the day after boarding an alternative flight arranged by their travel agency Mode Tour.

Some 330 South Korean tourists and visitors remain in Dubai, while those in other Middle Eastern cities, such as Cairo in Egypt and Amman in Jordan have reportedly returned without major disruptions.

Meanwhile, government authorities here are continuing to assist South Korean nationals in the Middle East after about 140 nationals and embassy staff who had been staying in Iran and Israel were safely evacuated to neighboring countries like Egypt and Turkmenistan earlier this week.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about 20,000 South Korean nationals including some 4,000 short-term visitors, are currently in around a dozen Middle Eastern countries.
Lee Hugh

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