eFM News

[Anchor]

South Korea is trying to bring back more of its nationals from overseas who have been stranded due to travel restrictions and border closures amid fears of the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Meeyeon Ahn reports.

[Reporter]

The Seoul government is seeking to arrange two chartered flights to bring home hundreds of its citizens from Italy.

As of Friday afternoon, more than 570 people have expressed their wish to return to Korea.

According to a foreign ministry official, the ministry is currently in consultations over specific details.

The government started to look for chartered flights only recently, as Koreans in Italy had initially sought to find flight tickets on their own.

The effort however, has become difficult, due to other European countries' moves to tighten border controls and travel restrictions.

Talks and efforts are also underway to help Koreans in countries in central and south America as stranded Korean citizens ask for help to return home.

In Peru, where borders are closed, more than 170 Korean tourists have been stuck there and a total of some 250 people are wishing to come back home.

In Honduras, 17 people haven't been able to return home due to border closures, while nearly 80 people in Ecuador also wish to come back to Korea.

The foreign ministry is also in talks with the government in Morocco, where 57 Koreans have been stranded after flight cancellations.

Meeyeon Ahn, eFM News.■