South Korea's Joint Government Response Team in Nepal Begins Phased Withdrawal; Police Continue Identification Work

The South Korean joint government response team dispatched to the scene of the devastating flooding in Nepal is returning home in phases.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (September 29), among the nine-member joint government response team, three members returned home on September 27, and two more are scheduled to return on October 1.

The remaining four members are personnel from the Korean National Police Agency.

The ministry stated that they will maintain a joint duty system with Nepalese police for the time being and continue identification operations.

Two of the four South Korean police officers have been assisting with identification work alongside Nepal's Central Forensic Science Laboratory since September 2, utilizing four rapid DNA analyzers provided by the Korean National Police Agency.

Regarding this, a foreign ministry official noted, "Not only the Nepalese government but also government officials from other countries in the region view this as a successful case of cooperation," adding, "In this context, the United States announced that it would provide consumables, including cartridges worth $1 million, needed for the DNA analyzers we provided."

Following the return of the joint government response team, the South Korean Embassy in Nepal will continue handling tasks such as supporting search operations by South Korean companies and assisting the victims' families.

On site, Doosan Enerbility is carrying out excavation efforts using excavators, and the South Korean government reportedly arranged for the Nepalese military to provide helicopters needed to transport the excavators to the disaster site.

In addition, the foreign ministry stated that it consulted with relevant Nepalese authorities and secured the necessary permits so that eight of the 15 pieces of heavy machinery donated by Doosan Enerbility to Nepal could be prioritized for operations in the area where South Korean nationals are presumed missing.

When the massive flooding struck Nepal on August 26, the South Korean government dispatched a joint government rapid response team the following day, followed by the first contingent of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) on September 1 and the second KDRT contingent on September 11.

The rapid response team had been operating under the name of the joint government response team since September 12.

(Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.