Cygnus on Standby for Deployment... Further Talks with Nepalese Government Underway

Air Force multipurpose aerial refueling transport aircraft 'Cygnus' (KC-330) Yonhap News

The government has decided to deploy the Air Force's multipurpose aerial refueling transport aircraft 'Cygnus' (KC-330) to Nepal in order to support search and rescue operations. The dispatch of Cygnus is in response to the fire authorities' request for large aerial refueling transport support to deliver relief supplies and equipment to the site. The Ministry of National Defense will finalize its decision following a review of local conditions at Kathmandu Airport in Nepal.

Cygnus is a military conversion of the commercial Airbus A330-200, with the Air Force operating a total of four units since 2018. It is capable of transporting approximately 300 personnel and 47 tons of cargo. In February 2023, Cygnus was also used to support earthquake relief in Türkiye, carrying an overseas emergency relief team of around 110 people and relief supplies.

However, dispatching the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) overseas requires the consent of the host country, in this case, the Nepalese government. A Foreign Ministry official stated, "The intentions of the host government are extremely important for the relief team to operate, so (the team) must obtain Nepal’s consent before beginning its activities. Just because we are willing to send a team does not mean it will necessarily happen." The government has expressed its intention to send the relief team through diplomatic channels and plans to continue related discussions. As of now, Nepal has not yet provided an official response.

Meanwhile, on this day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Park Jae-kyung, former Ambassador to Zimbabwe (57, 28th Foreign Service Exam), as the new Ambassador to Nepal, filling the vacant post.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.