The Nepalese government has reversed its stance and agreed to cooperate with the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) in conducting a foot search in the area where nine South Koreans went missing during a massive flood.

An official from the government's joint rapid response team told reporters in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, on the afternoon of the 7th (local time), "We have secured a stance from the Nepalese authorities stating that they will cooperate to allow searches in the areas of interest to the families of the missing South Koreans."

The official added, "We are currently discussing relevant matters with the Nepalese military for the search on the ground, and given the field conditions, we expect the search to take place tomorrow."

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun reportedly presented a map outlining the area where the nine South Koreans went missing during talks with Nepalese Foreign Minister Sisir Khanal the previous day, emphasizing the locations where their families wanted a search to be conducted.

The rapid response team official stated, "With the Nepalese side fully accepting the requests of the missing South Koreans' families during the foreign ministers' meeting between South Korea and Nepal and deciding to cooperate with the search, concrete implementation plans are being discussed on the ground, and we hope that the search we expect will be carried out accordingly."

Previously, the KDRT proposed conducting a foot search in Ramche, Rasuwa District, Bagmati Province, located about two kilometers away from the Upper Trishuli (UT)-1 hydroelectric power plant camp where the missing South Koreans stayed, but the Nepalese military had maintained that it was dangerous and could not be permitted.

In fact, the area from the weir dam to the powerhouse where the plant turbines are located is reportedly a steep, near-vertical 90-degree mountainous terrain.

Earlier that day, the KDRT, with the support of the Nepalese military, deployed three helicopters to search the area near the upper weir dam where one of the missing South Koreans had worked, but no significant findings were made.

Due to the massive flood that occurred in the upper Himalayan mountainous region on the 26th of last month, an estimated 1,355 people have died in Nepal alone as of today.

Including 43 people who died from a debris flow linked to this flood in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China near the border, the total death toll stands at 1,398.

The number of missing persons totals 5,515, combining 4,996 in Nepal and 519 in the Tibet region.

Among the missing are nine South Korean employees who were constructing the UT-1 hydroelectric power plant.

They consist of six employees from Doosan Enerbility and three from Korea South-East Power.

(Photo: Yonhap News)