President Lee Jae-myung stated that there is no such thing as overreacting when it comes to protecting the lives and safety of citizens, directing all resources to respond vigorously to the situation involving South Koreans affected by the floods in Nepal.
In a post titled 'Emergency Meeting on the Situation of South Koreans Affected by the Nepal Floods' on X (formerly Twitter), President Lee expressed his heavy heart, noting that the lives and safety of South Koreans are in a very serious situation.
He reported receiving a video briefing from the acting ambassador to Nepal regarding the damage in the affected areas, the status of roads and communications, and the search and rescue efforts by Nepalese authorities.
President Lee emphasized the need to mobilize all government resources to locate missing South Koreans and to ensure that there are no additional victims.
He also outlined a plan for cooperation with Nepalese authorities, stating, 'We will closely coordinate with the Nepalese government through all diplomatic channels to ensure that personnel and equipment necessary for search and rescue are deployed swiftly, and we will actively consider any humanitarian assistance needed.'
Regarding support for the families of victims, he promised to take care of those anxiously awaiting news, stating, 'We will designate a family liaison officer to ensure that there is no lack of support and communication.'
President Lee urged local rescue personnel to do their utmost, saying, 'Please do your best until the end with the determination to protect the lives and safety of our citizens.'
Earlier, Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong revealed details and directives from the emergency meeting chaired by President Lee during a briefing at the Chunchugwan.
On the afternoon of the same day, President Lee held an emergency meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul to review the government-wide response system for confirming the whereabouts of South Koreans and conducting search and rescue operations.
After receiving a video report from the acting ambassador to Nepal, he specifically confirmed the damage to South Koreans and local hydropower plants, as well as the conditions of roads and communications.
Foreign Minister Park Jin reported on the negotiations with the Nepalese government regarding the confirmation of South Koreans' whereabouts and the plans for a government joint rapid response team.
President Lee directed that rescue personnel be dispatched to the area as quickly as possible and instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, relevant agencies, the South Korean embassy in Nepal, and the companies involved to focus available personnel and resources on search and rescue efforts.
He also ordered checks to ensure there are no additional victims beyond those already confirmed and instructed that the situation of other domestic companies operating in Nepal be accurately and carefully assessed.
The support system for the families of victims was also detailed. President Lee directed that a 'liaison officer' be appointed to address requests and suggestions from the families of employees who are isolated or out of contact.
A separate 'public relations officer' will also be designated to continuously communicate updates on the search and rescue progress and local conditions to the families. It has yet to be decided whether the family liaison officer and public relations officer will operate locally or handle support tasks from South Korea.
Spokesperson Kang noted that regarding humanitarian assistance, 'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reviewing a certain scale in accordance with international practices,' adding that specific details will be explained by the Ministry.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that nine out of ten South Koreans who were isolated and awaiting rescue in the Rasua region of Nepal had been safely airlifted to a secure area by the Nepalese military.
The site manager from Doosan Enerbility remained on-site with two staff members, including a consular officer and an administrative staff member from the South Korean embassy in Nepal. The government continues to monitor the situation in cooperation with Nepalese authorities and the relevant companies.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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