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.
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Eleven more bodies were recovered from the Upper Trishuli-1 project site in Rasuwa during a search for people missing after the August 26 Bhotekoshi River flood.
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Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has called for institutional reforms and a whole-of-government approach to address climate risks after the Bhote Koshi disaster exposed vulnerabilities in Nepal’s infrastructure and development model.
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The government will provide displaced Bhote Koshi flood victims monthly housing support, temporary shelter options, and accelerated reconstruction after damage assessments and PDNA identify required resources.
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RSP Chairman Rabi Lamichhane proposed an all-party parliamentary committee to investigate the Bhote Koshi flood, declare it a national climate disaster, and warned against cyberbullying victims.
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Nepali Congress donated Rs 10 million to the Prime Minister Relief Fund for Bhote Koshi flood victims in Rasuwa, with General Secretary Pradip Paudel handing over the cheque Monday.
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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.
He said South Korea would support Nepal's efforts to raise the issue of climate-induced loss and damage at international forums, including the UN Climate Change Conference, or COP, and advocate for international financial support.
South Korea has also pledged approximately KRW 130 million in relief supplies and USD 1 million in humanitarian assistance through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Beyond disaster response, the two foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to expanding Nepal–South Korea cooperation in trade, investment, technology and labor relations.
As part of his visit, which continues through Monday, Cho is scheduled to meet the families of the missing South Korean workers and offer support to members of the KDRT deployed in Nepal.
Following his visit to Nepal, Cho is expected to travel to France to join South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on an official state visit.