Returned Nepal Relief Team Leader Says, "Did Our Best but Failed to Rescue... Deep Regret and Apologies"

Lee Gyuho, Head of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) dispatched to the Nepal massive flood disaster site and Director-General for Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on the 14th, "We did our utmost to carry out search and rescue operations for missing persons within the range permitted by the Nepalese government," but added, "However, we failed to find or rescue the individuals who are out of contact." He further said, "We feel deeply regretful and sorry."

On the 8th, at the Trishuli Military Base in Nepal, Lee Gyuho, Captain of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) (third from left), and team members are returning after completing search and rescue operations. 2026.9.8 Yonhap News Agency.

Upon returning to Korea after completing ten days of operations with the first contingent of the KDRT, Lee held a briefing at the Government Complex Seoul that afternoon. He said, "Regarding the search and rescue for our missing nationals, the Nepalese military authorities did not grant permission, so we could not conduct the thorough search that the families had hoped for." In response to a request from the Nepalese authorities, KDRT conducted tunnel search operations in the flood-affected area, rescuing one Chinese survivor, discovering three bodies, and recovering one of them. However, no trace of the missing Korean nationals was found during the operation.

By law, KDRT is only permitted to conduct operations within the scope authorized by the government of the affected country, in consultation with them. Beyond the mission to search and rescue Korean nationals, the team carries out emergency humanitarian relief activities throughout the disaster area. The KDRT’s survivor rescue efforts also took place at the tunnel search site, at the request of the Nepalese government.

There were significant constraints in conducting on-foot searches in the areas requested by the families of the missing, due to restrictions imposed by the local authorities. Lee said, "We tried to search areas with a high possibility that the Korean nationals out of contact might have evacuated to, as much as possible during the tunnel search." However, he explained, "We negotiated with the Nepalese military authorities, but they said it was too dangerous due to the mountainous terrain and could not allow on-foot searches." He added, "Instead, we had to land helicopters in safe zones and primarily use drones to search adjacent areas."

In reality, although not in the exact areas requested by the families, KDRT attempted on-foot searches on certain sections along the right bank of the Trishuli River. However, because of the extremely rough terrain, a 1.7-kilometer on-foot search took seven hours, and some team members became exhausted during the process. Eventually, a stranded relief team member had to be rescued by a local military helicopter. Subsequently, the Nepalese military authorities tightened controls over on-foot operations in the mountainous region even further.

Nevertheless, after persistent requests for negotiation by the KDRT, the Nepalese authorities permitted a very limited on-foot search on the 8th (local time), provided it was in a "safe area." Still, suitable helicopter landing sites were difficult to secure, and the search was limited to drone operations near the powerhouse where the missing persons had worked. Lee explained, "The emergency relief team was unable to conduct on-foot search in the areas the families had hoped for," and further clarified, "The Nepalese military authorities did not allow it due to safety concerns, so there were limitations."

All KDRT first contingent personnel and equipment have withdrawn from the site, and the second contingent, scaled down to a team of eight, is currently operating locally. The second group is focusing more on medical and relief activities rather than search and rescue, but search and rescue efforts will continue within the range of cooperation allowed by the Nepalese authorities. The initial government joint rapid response team, dispatched at the onset of the situation, has been reorganized—excluding rescue personnel—into a 'government joint response team' composed of a total of seven people: three from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, three from the National Police Agency, and one from the National Forensic Service. An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "The personnel from the National Police Agency and National Forensic Service are jointly working on-site at the Nepal Central Forensic Science Laboratory, where our government has provided rapid DNA analysis equipment, supporting the Nepalese government in identifying the deceased."

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