South Korea’s foreign minister to visit Nepal as search for nine missing Koreans continues

The search for nine South Koreans missing after Nepal’s devastating floods continued on May 4 without a significant breakthrough, as Nepal’s military refused to authorize a proposed ground operation.

South Korea’s overseas emergency relief team, deployed to Nepal, suggested searching on foot in Ramche, an area about 2 kilometers from the camp where the missing Koreans had stayed. A military commander rejected the proposal, saying ground operations would be dangerous and that risky activity could not be allowed in the operational area.

The terrain itself poses a severe obstacle. The route from Weir Dam, where one of the South Koreans worked, to the power plant housing is reportedly a steep mountainous area with slopes approaching 90 degrees. The relief team has already used a Nepalese military helicopter to search around Weir Dam, the power plant and Yellow Bridge. It plans to continue searches by helicopter and drone on May 5.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will visit Nepal from May 5 to 7 for talks with his Nepalese counterpart. He is expected to ask for support to ensure that the search for the missing South Koreans can proceed smoothly. Cho also spoke twice last month with Nepalese Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, asking for a concentrated search of the area. During the visit, he plans to meet relatives of the missing people and representatives of South Korean companies in Nepal.

The report said floods in Nepal and China had killed more than 1,300 people and left about 5,600 missing. Nepal’s government has designated May 7 as a national day of mourning and will fly flags at half-staff at government offices nationwide.

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We proposed conducting a ground search in Ramche, but the military commander said that ground searches were dangerous and that risky actions could not be allowed in the operational area.