CHEONGHAE UNIT MEMBERS RETURN HOME

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Service members of the naval Cheonghae Unit dispatched to waters off Africa have returned home 5 months earlier than schedule following a mass COVID-19 outbreak. All 301 members have returned but not in a healthy state. Amid fierce criticism over the military’s response, there are calls wishing for the sailors’ speedy recovery but also demands to get to the bottom of the latest outbreak.

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A military aircraft carrying the Cheonghae Unit crew touches down. A health official opens the door and the crew members disembark one by one. They are holding belongings such as slippers and sneakers they had brought to Africa. Two aerial tankers that left Korea on Sunday have returned after 50 hours, bringing home all 301 crew members. 160 infected patients including 16 who had checked into local hospitals returned first, while the remaining 141 members arrived on the second plane 50 minutes later. With no family time, the servicemen boarded ambulances and buses to head straight to either hospitals or treatment centers. 14 of them including those with serious symptoms will be treated at a military hospital while the other 280 or so have been quarantined at military or civilian treatment centers. President Moon Jae-in has humbly accepted criticism that the outbreak could have been handled better and hoped for the sailors’ quick recovery.

[Soundbite] Moon Jae-in(President) : "It’s difficult to avoid criticism of insufficient and complacent responses from the public’s standpoint which we humbly accept."

Through a speedy transport operation, the soldiers are back home but the incident has become the first case in Korea’s overseas troop dispatch history where servicemen had to return early due to an infectious disease.