Nepal and South Korea discuss rescue of nine missing workers and post-flood recovery

Kathmandu, September 6, 2026 — Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held bilateral discussions in Kathmandu on Sunday, focusing on search and rescue efforts for nine South Korean nationals missing following the August 26 Bhote Koshi flood and Nepal's post-disaster recovery.

Cho arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday for a three-day official visit, with efforts to locate the missing South Korean workers among the key priorities of his trip.

The nine South Korean nationals remain unaccounted for in the area of the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa. They include six workers from Doosan Enerbility Co. and three from Korea South-East Power Co.

The disaster has caused extensive human and physical losses, with more than 1,300 people reported dead and nearly 5,000 others still missing nationwide.

During their bilateral meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singha Durbar, Khanal expressed gratitude to the South Korean government for deploying an Inter-Agency Rapid Response Team and the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) to assist Nepal.

The South Korean relief personnel have been working alongside the Nepali Army in search and rescue operations, using resources including drones, search dogs and rescue helicopters.

Khanal said post-disaster recovery and reconstruction remained among Nepal's key priorities. He stated that the reconstruction process would follow a “Build Back Better” approach aimed at developing sustainable and flood-resilient infrastructure.

He also expressed confidence that South Korea would continue supporting Nepal's recovery and rehabilitation efforts.

Cho reaffirmed South Korea's commitment to supporting Nepal's long-term rehabilitation and said efforts to search for the missing workers would be intensified.

Addressing the broader causes and consequences of such disasters, Cho said the international community had a historical responsibility regarding the impacts of climate change faced by vulnerable countries such as Nepal.