Nepal Army Rejects Ground Search for 9 Missing South Koreans

The Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), dispatched by Seoul to the Batarr area in Nuwakot district, Bagmati Province, central-northern Nepal, proposed a foot search in Ramche, about 2 km from the camp where the missing South Koreans had stayed. However, a local military commander rejected the proposal, saying a ground search would be too dangerous and that risky operations could not be permitted in the area. The terrain between the weir dam where one South Korean had worked and the powerhouse housing staff quarters is known to be nearly vertical, with slopes approaching 90 degrees. During a meeting with the military commander in the Batarr area, the KDRT suggested conducting a foot search in Ramche, located about 2 km from the camp where the missing South Koreans had stayed, but the commander declined, citing the extreme danger of the terrain.