President Lee Jae-myung to Hold Emergency Meeting on Missing South Koreans in Nepal; July 28 Ruling Party Luncheon Also Postponed

[Financial News] President Lee Jae-myung will chair an emergency meeting on the 27th to review the situation involving South Koreans missing in Nepal after flooding and other damage. As a result, several scheduled events, including the Senior Presidential Aides Meeting, have been postponed.
Kang Yoo-jung, senior presidential secretary for public relations at Cheong Wa Dae, said in a media notice that "President Lee will postpone today's Senior Presidential Aides Meeting, which was scheduled to be held at Cheong Wa Dae, and instead chair an emergency meeting to review damage to our nationals related to the Nepal floods."
At the meeting, President Lee is expected to receive reports on the local damage situation, the progress of search and rescue operations for the missing, and measures to ensure the safety of overseas Koreans.
Kang also said that "the luncheon for Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers, scheduled for the 28th, has also been postponed, given the current all-out efforts to secure the safety of our citizens." The new date for the postponed event will be decided later.
Originally, the Democratic Party of Korea had planned to hold a luncheon at Yeongbingwan, hosted by President Lee, after a two-day, one-night lawmakers' workshop running from the 27th to the 28th.
Earlier, a massive flood hit north-central Nepal on the 26th local time, causing heavy casualties. At least 160 people have died, and 403 people, including 341 foreign nationals, remain missing.
Nine South Korean employees from Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility, who were working on a hydropower plant project in the area, have also lost contact. Another 10 South Koreans were stranded, but they are believed to be safe.
In response, President Lee issued an emergency directive the previous day, saying, "After receiving reports that our citizens participating in hydropower plant construction in Nepal have gone missing, put the lives and safety of our people first and mobilize every available means to devote all-out efforts to search and rescue operations." He also urged officials to "work closely with the Nepalese government and local authorities, do everything possible to support the families of the missing and ensure the safety of our citizens staying on site, and make every effort to prevent further damage."
The government plans to send a rapid response team to Nepal made up of four officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, five firefighters, and two police officers.

[email protected] Choi Jong-geun Reporter