The first team of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) has returned home.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the KDRT team arrived at Seoul Airport at 1:30 a.m. on September 12 via a military transport aircraft (KC-330). The team, consisting of 44 members, was dispatched to Nepal on September 2 at the request of local authorities. During their ten-day search operation, they successfully rescued one Chinese survivor.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Dai Bing, the Chinese ambassador to South Korea, expressed gratitude, stating, "A Chinese national was safely rescued by South Korean and Nepalese rescue teams in the landslide and flood-affected area along the China-Nepal border. This miracle of life occurred ten days after the disaster. I extend my deep appreciation and respect to the rescue teams of both countries."
However, the KDRT team was unable to locate nine missing South Koreans during their search. This led to some families of the missing individuals expressing dissatisfaction with the KDRT's efforts and holding a press conference to urge more active search operations.
As the KDRT team concluded its mission, a second team arrived in Nepal on September 11. With Nepal shifting its focus, the new team is expected to prioritize reconstruction and recovery efforts while also continuing search operations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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