Joint Team to Depart for Nepal to Support Search for Missing 9 S. Koreans

Seoul, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- Nine South Koreans continue missing after devastating floods in Nepal, with the government planning to send a joint rapid response team on Thursday to aid search and rescue operations, the foreign ministry announced. The nine missing South Koreans are comprised of six personnel from Doosan Enerbility Co. and three from Korea South-East Power Co., a state-owned power generation firm.

They were on-site in Nepal's Rasuwa district while constructing a hydropower plant when the catastrophic flooding struck on Wednesday, according to the ministry.

Separately, 10 other South Koreans linked to Doosan, who had been stranded in the region, have been confirmed safe but remain in need of rescue. They were part of the roughly 200 foreign workers who evacuated the site while working on the construction project. The government mission, composed of members from the foreign ministry, police, and fire departments, is set to travel to Nepal and arrive in Kathmandu later on Thursday, the ministry reported.

President Lee Jae Myung has directed the government to make every conceivable effort to locate and rescue the missing South Koreans, deploying all resources at their disposal. President Lee also instructed the team to collaborate closely with the Nepalese government and local authorities, provide support to the families of those still unaccounted for, ensure the safety of those still in the area, and take all necessary measures to prevent additional casualties.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun informed this at an emergency response meeting on Wednesday. Cho also stated that he would discuss cooperation with Nepal's foreign minister. Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power have established their own emergency response teams and are working to dispatch field response teams to the accident site, officials informed.

The catastrophic flash floods occurred near the Nepal-Tibet border, resulting in over 160 deaths and leading to hundreds of others going missing, most of whom were foreigners, according to foreign media accounts.