The government’s joint rapid response team dispatched to flood-stricken Nepal will conduct a joint aerial search with the Nepal Army on September 1. The Foreign Ministry announced that it is sending a 44-member Overseas Emergency Relief Team (KDRT) as well.
A ministry official told reporters, "We are also considering the use of drones. The Fire Agency is reviewing the possibility of conducting aerial searches in collaboration with the Nepal Army."
The official added, "Through discussions with the Nepalese side yesterday, we reached a basic understanding regarding the joint operation. With the help of the Nepal Army, the ground search team was able to move through certain areas. There is a possibility of conducting aerial searches or using drones in collaboration with the Nepal Army, which can be seen as significant progress depending on the timing."
Additionally, the Foreign Ministry is sending the KDRT to Nepal. The KDRT is a relief team dispatched based on personnel from government ministries and related agencies to support disaster relief, rescue operations, and medical assistance in the event of large-scale overseas disasters. This deployment comes after the Nepalese government requested an emergency relief team from South Korea for search and rescue operations in the affected areas. This marks the first KDRT deployment since the wildfires in Canada in 2023.
The KDRT will be led by Lee Gyu-ho, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Development Cooperation Bureau, and will consist of 44 members from the Foreign Ministry, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and the Fire Agency. They will board a military transport aircraft, the 'Cygnus,' in the evening and depart for Nepal. They are scheduled to conduct search and rescue operations in coordination with the Nepalese government for approximately ten days.
Meanwhile, nine South Koreans remain unaccounted for due to the severe flooding.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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