On March 15, Defense Minister An Gyu-baek welcomed overseas nationals repatriated from four Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, under Operation Desert Light.
According to the Foreign and Defense Ministries, a KC-330 "Cygnus" military transport carrying 211 people—204 South Korean nationals, five family members with foreign nationality, and two Japanese citizens—landed at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province at about 5:59 p.m. that day. Minister An greeted the returnees alongside Im Sang-woo, the Foreign Ministry's public diplomacy ambassador, and Air Force Chief of Staff Son Seok-rak.
The Defense Ministry said Minister An chaired a readiness review on March 13 to ensure seamless execution of Operation Desert Light. The transport departed Gimhae Airport on March 13 for Saudi Arabia, and the government secured prior overflight clearance from more than ten countries along the route.
Ryu Yoon-sang, the mission control commander who led operations on site and heads the Defense Ministry's ROK-U.S. Alliance Development Task Force, said the outcome reflects the military's long-range operational capability and strong interagency cooperation. "Our forces will conduct missions to protect the lives and safety of our citizens anywhere in the world," he said.
