On the afternoon of the 5th at Incheon International Airport's Terminal 2. As the automatic doors of the arrivals hall opened, travelers began to appear one by one. As the situation in the Middle East deteriorated rapidly after the U.S. strike on Iran, there were also Hanatour package tourists who barely made it home after experiencing wartime conditions there.
Until just a few days ago in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), where they had been staying, missile alerts blared along with the sound of explosions, they said. Faces hardened by tension began to relax the moment they set foot on the airport floor. In various parts of the arrivals hall, people said, "We came back alive."
The 35 tourists left Dubai Airport the previous day, connected through Taipei, Taiwan, and arrived at Incheon Airport at about 3:48 p.m. on Korean Air Lines flight KE2022. After finishing immigration and collecting their bags, they hurried out of the airport.
Kim Jae-seong, 69, who set out on a trip to Dubai with his wife, said, "We left Dubai on a red-eye flight, and it was really scary with missiles flying," and "I kept looking at the window showing the flight path and only felt relieved around the time we passed India."
They are package travelers who departed on the 25th of last month for tours of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. After finishing a desert tour and more, they were originally scheduled to return on the 2nd of this month, but as the United States and Israel struck Iran and Iran launched retaliatory attacks, flights were repeatedly canceled, leaving them stranded there.
They directly experienced bombardment during the tour. When they visited a museum in Abu Dhabi, a bomb fell nearby and they had to shelter inside the building for about an hour.
The Dubai hotel where they were staying was away from the sites of Iran's retaliatory attacks, but the tension continued. Ambulance sirens and alarms rang all night, making it hard to sleep, they said. Moon Mi-hyang, 57, who went to Dubai with her daughter, said, "I was afraid we might not be able to come back," and "We didn't know how Iran would respond, so we spent every day anxiously glued to the news."
Lee Hak-jung, 66, said, "I retired and went on a trip to Dubai with my wife, but I never thought I would end up seeing bombs explode outside the window," and "I thought it would be safe, but my family in Korea scolded me, asking, 'Why did you go?'"
Thirty-nine people who went on a Modetour Network package trip are also scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport this afternoon from Dubai via Taipei.
Thirty-nine Modetour Network package tourists are also scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport this afternoon from Dubai via Taipei. As travel agencies arrange alternative flights, some tourists are making their way home, but it is still known that about 300 tourists who traveled to the Middle East through Hanatour, Modetour Network, Very Good Tour, and Yellow Balloon Tour remain in Dubai.
Although some airlines, including Emirates, have resumed operations, it is not easy to secure tickets, and even secured flights are frequently canceled.
Kim Yeon-suk, 65, who returned from Dubai with her daughter that day, said, "Now that I'm back in Korea, it feels like I've gained everything," while expressing concern for those still there. Kim said, "Even after hearing that we would be departing (from Dubai), I couldn't be happy because some people were left behind," and "We told each other, 'Don't worry,' 'Please return safely.'"
The government has begun to prepare measures to support the return of Korean nationals staying in the Middle East. President Lee Jae-myung said at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting that day, "I hope you will establish and implement a swift and safe evacuation plan," and ordered, "Mobilize all possible means, including military aircraft and chartered planes."