Arrivals from South Korea pose with an epidemic prevention officer at the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport on July 30. [Photo/Yiwu Media Convergence Center]

A chartered plane carrying 131 South Korean passengers arrived at the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport on July 30. Ninety-eight of them were bound for Yiwu, Zhejiang province.

The special flight was sponsored by the municipal government of Yiwu and was Zhejiang's first international chartered flight since the COVID-19 outbreak began.

A South Korean couple exits the Xiaoshan International Airport after undergoing nucleic tests. [Photo/Yiwu Media Convergence Center]

Most of the passengers bound for Yiwu were South Korean businessmen and their families. After passing customs clearance and undergoing nucleic acid tests, they were transported to designated quarantine locations via a chartered bus.

They must undergo 14-day quarantine at designated hotels (free of charge) and a further 7-day home quarantine before conducting business activities.

South Koreans in Yiwu welcome their friends and families with banners and flowers. [Photo/Yiwu Media Convergence Center]

South Korea and Yiwu have a strong economic partnership. In 2019, South Koreans made a total of 34,362 visits to Yiwu, while Yiwu's total trade with South Korea was valued at 2.69 billion yuan ($385.2 million), up 90.61 percent year on year.