A South Korean military transport plane has arrived in Saipan to help bring back hundreds of South Korean tourists stranded on the typhoon-hit Western Pacific island. 

The plane left Gimhae International Airport at 3:20 a.m. Saturday and arrived in Saipan around noon.

It will transport 18-hundred Korean tourists from Saipan to nearby Guam, where they will return home on South Korean passenger planes.

The plane will fly between the two islands twice on Saturday and elderly and sick people, infants and pregnant women will be given priority.

Given that the plane can only seat 100 people, it will take some time for all of the tourists to be flown to Guam.

A government official said that more planes will be sent to Saipan if necessary.

Category-five super typhoon Yutu slammed the popular tourist island on Thursday. 

Among the two thousand Korean residents in Saipan, one minor injury and four cases of property damage have been reported.

The Saipan International Airport has also shut down, leaving tourists stranded.