15 S. Koreans return from Israel aboard Japanese plane

A Japanese aircraft carrying a group of South Korean nationals, along with its own people, returned from Israel, the second such flight Japan has offered after South Korea brought Japanese citizens home on its plane last month amid the raging war in Gaza, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.

The Air Self-Defense Force aircraft carrying 15 South Koreans and one foreign national family member related to a Korean national landed at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, at 6.45 p.m. on Friday evening, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

The plane had departed from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

This is the second flight Tokyo has provided to aid Seoul in the evacuation of Koreans from the war-torn region.

Eighteen South Koreans and a foreign family member returned aboard a Japanese aircraft on October 21 as Japan offered to share some 20 seats with South Koreans.

The proposal was seen as returning the favour to Seoul after a South Korean military aircraft brought back 51 Japanese people, along with 163 South Koreans, from Israel on October 14.

A total of 420 South Korean citizens remain in Israel, according to the Ministry.