SEOUL– Thirteen Afghan evacuees arrived in South Korea on Friday, bringing to completion Seoul’s mission to evacuate a total of 390 Afghan co-workers at the country’s embassy and other facilities, and their family members from the war-torn country.
The 13 people, comprised of three families, arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at 1:07 p.m. aboard a C-130 military transport aircraft after leaving Islamabad late Thursday, the foreign ministry said.
Their arrival came a day after the first group of 377 Afghans arrived Thursday.
Like those who arrived on the first plane, the incoming group will also be tested for COVID-19 and go through screening to confirm their identities upon their arrival, before being transported to a government-designated facility in the central county of Jincheon, about 91 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
They will stay at the temporary shelter for about six weeks.
The evacuees are medical professionals, vocational trainers, IT experts and interpreters who worked for Korea’s embassy, now-closed hospitals and a job training center that were established by the country’s overseas aid institution, KOICA.
Officials said South Korea carried out the evacuation operation, codenamed Operation Miracle, to fulfill its moral responsibility to help Afghan friends facing worsening security risks following the Taliban’s seizing of power.
Source: Yonhap News Agency