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Members of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) prepare for a drone search operation on the 8th. / Courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), dispatched to respond to floods in Nepal and to search for and rescue unaccounted-for South Korean nationals, is scheduled to return home on the 11th aboard a military transport aircraft (KC-330).

Under a resolution by the public-private Overseas Emergency Relief Council, the deployment period for the KDRT is set at 10 days. With the end of this operational window approaching, the team is currently preparing for its return.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 10th, the KC-330 being deployed to Nepal to repatriate the KDRT will carry relief supplies—including blankets, winter clothing, and tents—donated by domestic enterprises to non-governmental organizations.

In addition, the foreign ministry is pursuing the dispatch of a second KDRT contingent. To that end, it plans to convene the public-private Overseas Emergency Relief Council to finalize and announce the specific size and deployment schedule.

The government joint rapid response team, which arrived in Nepal ahead of the KDRT to carry out search operations for South Korean nationals, will remain on site. Working in close coordination with Nepalese authorities, the team will continue necessary operations, including providing support to the families of missing nationals.

                                                                                                           Mok Yong-jae