Korean nationals airlifted from Haiti amid gang violence crisis

Diplomacy

Published: 09 Apr. 2024, 14:19

Korean nationals airlifted from Haiti amid gang violence crisis

Agents of the Haitian National Police PNH confront bandits around Champs de Mars, the main public square of the city, where intense shots were heard throughout the afternoon, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday. [EPA/YONHAP]

Eleven Korean nationals were evacuated from violence-stricken Haiti to the Dominican Republic on Monday, the Korean Foreign Ministry announced the same day.

“With the help of the Dominican government, 11 more Korean nationals have been safely evacuated from the Haitian capital city Port-au-Prince,” the Foreign Ministry said in a press release. They were airlifted by helicopter.

Less than 50 Koreans now remain in the Caribbean nation, while gang violence and unrest have gripped Haiti since February this year.

Previously, two Koreans were evacuated at their request to the Dominican Republic on March 27.

The Foreign Ministry said it is doing “everything in its power” to protect the remaining Koreans currently living in and around Port-au-Prince.

Korean companies inside the Sonapi Industrial Complex in the city are still operating normally despite the tension. However, gangs are still active around major ports and roads — key gateways for logistics movement — and companies are experiencing difficulties transporting containers.

Haitian authorities said that the destruction of power facilities, including four power plants in the metropolitan area, is causing major disruptions in the operation of banking computer networks.

The nation has seen chronic gang violence and political unrest since the 2021 assassination of the country’s then president Jovenel Moïse.

The tense situation in Haiti spiraled into chaos in February when a series of coordinated attacks by gangs took place in Port-au-Prince. Armed gangs attacked the National Palace and Haiti’s main international airport and set fire to parts of the Interior Ministry.

The Haitian government declared a state of emergency on March 3, with Prime Minister Ariel Henry blocked from returning to the country when Port-au-Prince's airport was closed following an attack. Henry later said he would resign once a transitional council was established.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]