As nine South Koreans remain unaccounted for following severe flooding in Nepal, their families held a press conference on September 9, urging the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) to resume search efforts. The KDRT announced the previous day that it had no plans for search activities that morning, citing the Nepalese authorities' transition to a search-and-rescue conclusion phase.
The families criticized the KDRT, stating, "They did not even fulfill the promised 10-day mission period before withdrawing early." They further accused the KDRT of declaring the search over under the guise of safety, without conducting any substantial ground searches.
While the KDRT requested the Nepalese military to conduct ground searches in areas of interest, the military has consistently denied these requests. However, the Nepalese authorities shifted their stance, allowing seven KDRT members to conduct aerial drone searches and ground searches around the powerhouse, Yellow Bridge, and the main camp area the day before. Despite this, the ground search in the areas of interest was limited to just one day.
Meanwhile, the KDRT, which was dispatched to the region on September 2, successfully rescued one Chinese survivor but has yet to locate any missing South Koreans. The KDRT's mission is set to expire on September 11, with no plans for an extension reported as of now.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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