"Unable to conduct a foot search in the area where Korean workers went missing"... Foreign Minister Cho Hyun also heads to Nepal

[Financial News] Land search operations to find nine South Korean workers missing due to floods in Nepal have been facing difficulties for several days. With no progress in the search for the missing South Koreans, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduled to visit Nepal from the 5th to the 7th to hold a South Korea-Nepal foreign ministers' meeting and devise countermeasures.
In addition, Minister Cho is scheduled to meet with and encourage the rapid response team and the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) currently operating in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stated, "Minister Cho plans to meet with the families of Korean nationals currently in Nepal who are out of contact, as well as with representatives of Korean companies."
However, no progress is being made as the Nepal Army is not allowing foot searches to access the area where the missing South Koreans were last seen. The Nepal Army is controlling the area, citing the terrain as dangerous for foot searches.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Korea Disaster Relief Team proposed to the Nepal Army during a meeting with the military commander of the Batar region that they conduct a search on foot at Ramche in the Rasuwa region, about 2 km away from the camp where the missing Koreans stayed.
However, it is reported that the military commander of the Batar region conveyed to our rescue team his position that he could not allow dangerous actions in their operational area, stating that "searching on foot is dangerous."
It is reported that the area from the Weir Dam, the upper dam where one of the missing Koreans worked, to the powerhouse where the power plant turbine is located is a steep mountainous region with an incline of nearly 90 degrees.
With foot searches becoming difficult, hopes are being placed on aerial searches, but even this is facing difficulties due to bad weather.
With the support of Nepal Army helicopters, an aerial search was conducted in the Powerhouse area using four drones, but no specific details regarding the nine missing South Koreans were found.
The previous day, they also attempted an aerial search with the support of two Nepal Army helicopters. However, due to the weather, one returned, and the other could not even take off.
Meanwhile, our government has started providing emergency relief supplies to help flood victims in Nepal.
The government announced yesterday that it would provide two items, including 36,000 emergency thermal blankets and 2,320 medium thermal blankets, to Nepal to help flood victims in the affected areas.
The relief supplies are worth approximately 130 million won. They are scheduled to arrive in Nepal on the 5th via a commercial flight. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stated, "We plan to continue communicating with the Nepalese government and actively seek ways to provide the support needed in the affected areas."
The number of displaced people and the scale of damage caused by the massive floods in Nepal, triggered by the collapse of glaciers in The Himalayas, continue to rise. The number of displaced people has reached approximately 1.6 million. Additionally, more than 14,000 residents have been isolated for over a week due to severed roads and bridges. It is estimated that around 1,200 people have died in Nepal alone. [email protected] Reporter Kim Kyung-soo


[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter