South Korea Dispatches Response Team as Nine Nationals Go Missing in Nepal Floods

President Lee Jae Myung convened an emergency meeting on Thursday to coordinate rescue efforts for nine South Koreans missing after catastrophic floods struck Nepal and China on Wednesday. The missing individuals are employees of Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power who were working on the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower plant construction site in the Rasuwa district. Ten other South Korean workers in the area have been confirmed safe but are currently awaiting rescue.

In response to the crisis, the South Korean government dispatched an 11 member rapid response team to Kathmandu via Hong Kong on Thursday afternoon. The team is led by Lim Sang-woo, the government representative for overseas Korean protection and consular affairs, and includes four Foreign Ministry officials, five firefighters, and two police officers. Additionally, Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power have sent their own response teams to the region to establish coordination camps.

President Lee postponed a scheduled meeting with senior aides and a planned luncheon with ruling party lawmakers to focus on the emergency assessment. He has ordered the government to mobilize all available resources to prioritize the safety of citizens. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun also held an emergency meeting Wednesday night and is scheduled to coordinate with his Nepalese counterpart.

Nepal Police reported that the death toll from the flooding has risen to 162, with 579 tourists missing, including 466 foreign nationals from 28 countries. Search efforts have been hampered by difficult terrain and damaged infrastructure in the mountainous region near the border with Tibet.