South Korea said Tuesday it plans to send businessmen on chartered flights to Vietnam and China this week as the new coronavirus pandemic has virtually suspended global air traffic, disrupting their travels.

Under the plan, around 570 businessmen from 240 companies will start being sent to Vietnam on chartered airplanes Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Through August, South Korea plans to send 1,500 workers to the Southeast Asian nation.

The flight to China carrying around 160 business officials from small and midsized companies will also depart to Guangdong Province on Thursday, the ministry added.

The businessmen will be put under a two-week isolation after arriving in Vietnam and China before heading toward their final destinations.

South Korea said it will continue to work closely with major trade partners to eliminate business uncertainties for local companies.

China is the top trading partner for Asia's No. 4 economy. In 2019, Vietnam was the third-largest export destination.

South Korea has been sending chartered passenger and cargo flights overseas since earlier this year as most of the regular flights have been grounded in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The country is planning to send at least one chartered flight to Iraq later this week to bring home about 300 nationals amid the rapid spread of the virus in the Middle Eastern country. (Yonhap)