ROK Air Force’s KC-330 Cygnus rapidly deployed to Saudi Arabia, completes special mission.

Nationals from four countries consolidated at a single location for evacuation.

Secures airspace clearance from over 10 countries within a day.

Pan-government “one team” effort executes mission on an unprecedented scale.

Amid an escalating crisis in the Middle East, Koreans residing in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Kuwait boarded the urgently dispatched Republic of Korea Air Force's KC-330 Cygnus multirole aerial tanker and safely returned home on March 15.

According to the Ministries of National Defense and Foreign Affairs, the KC-330 Cygnus aircraft—carrying 211 people, including 204 Koreans, five family members of foreign nationality, and two Japanese nationals—departed Riyadh Airport, Saudi Arabia, on the afternoon of March 14 (local time) and safely landed at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, on the afternoon of March 15.

From February 28, airspace closures across Middle Eastern countries—coupled with surging demand for civilian flights—prevented a considerable number of Koreans from evacuating to safety or returning home. President Lee Jae-myung instructed at the Cabinet meeting on March 10, “Actively consider using military aircraft to ensure the safe evacuation of every Korean residing in the affected countries, without leaving a single person behind.”

The Ministries of National Defense and Foreign Affairs launched Operation Desert Shine to support the swift and safe return of our nationals. The operation's name, “Desert Shine,” reflects the government's commitment to illuminate and protect our people in the Middle East region.

The government stated, “In this regard, support for repatriation was conducted on an unprecedented scale and scope by gathering Korean residents scattered across four countries in one place at once and transporting them aboard a cargo plane.” The government added, “The Ministries of National Defense and Foreign Affairs, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Air Force, embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Lebanon, the government's joint prompt response team, and the National Police Agency all participated in the operation as one unified team.”

The government explained that, in particular, during the preparation stage, approvals had to be obtained within a single day to traverse the airspaces of over 10 countries along the flight route from Korea to Saudi Arabia, and thus, Defense and Foreign Affairs Ministry officials communicated around the clock, overcoming time differences, and secured urgent cooperation through what amounted to a covert, spy-like operation.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Foreign Affairs Minister Cho Hyun held phone discussions with their Saudi Arabian counterparts and secured active cooperation from the Saudi government, ensuring effective execution of the operation.

Furthermore, the Ministry of National Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff maintained a 24/7 situation room, tracking the military cargo plane's route and detecting any crisis situations in real time. The Republic of Korea Air Force flawlessly executed its missions according to a thorough plan across all phases, from operation preparation through completion.

Going forward, the government will closely monitor local situations and continue to implement various safety measures to protect Koreans residing in the Middle East and facilitate their return home.

 By Byeong-No, Yun <trylover@dema.mil.kr >

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