Anchor: South Korea successfully evacuated all 28 nationals from Sudan on Monday as armed conflict continues to afflict the African nation. The group was transported to nearby Saudi Arabia, where they boarded a military transport aircraft to return home on Tuesday afternoon.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report:

[Upsound: South Korean nationals arriving in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Apr. 24/Al Ekhbariya)]

A South Korean Super Hercules military transport plane landed at a military base in the western Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on Monday.

National Security Office Second Deputy Director Lim Jong-deuk announced on Monday that all 28 South Korean nationals were evacuated from Sudan and delivered to safety as “Operation Promise” was executed without a hitch.

[Sound bite: National Security Office Second Deputy Director Lim Jong-deuk (Korean/English)]
"Under the successful fulfillment of Operation Promise, all 28 South Koreans who had expressed a wish to evacuate were able to safely depart from the danger zone."

The top office explained that the group departed from the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Sunday, traveling around 850 kilometers by bus over a 24-hour period to get to the airport in Port Sudan, a city in the northeastern part of the country, where they boarded a C130-J Super Hercules that took them to Jeddah.

[Sound bite: National Security Office Second Deputy Director Lim Jong-deuk (Korean/English)] 
"We would like to express deep gratitude to friendly nations including the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for their active cooperation during Operation Promise. In particular, our brother country, the UAE, where President Yoon Suk Yeol made a state visit in January, played a huge role. We also made arrangements for a number of Japanese nationals to accompany the group for a safe evacuation."

The group boarded a South Korean Air Force KC-330 Cygnus aerial tanker transport plane in Saudi Arabia for arrival at Seoul Air Base later on Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meanwhile, announced that the Sudanese state military and the paramilitary faction agreed to a 72-hour nationwide ceasefire starting at 12 a.m. Monday.

As countries rush to evacuate their citizens, foreign media outlets report that the prolonged fighting has severed the supply of water and electricity as well as communication throughout the country.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.