Seoul: More than 370 South Koreans returned home on Friday aboard the first direct flight from Dubai since last week's U.S.-Israeli air strikes on Iran, airport officials reported. The Emirates flight landed at Incheon International Airport, located west of Seoul, around 8:25 p.m., carrying a total of 422 passengers, including 372 South Koreans.

According to Yonhap News Agency, this marked the first direct commercial flight to arrive at Incheon from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since the conflict with Iran began the previous weekend. The South Korean government had earlier stated that it consulted with the UAE government to ensure the safe return of its citizens from the Middle East via direct flights.

Currently, about 18,000 South Koreans are believed to be in 14 Middle Eastern countries. Among these, 4,900 are short-term travelers, with approximately 3,500 stranded due to flight cancellations, as noted by the government.