Search for lost climbers to end early under inclement conditions

The search for the remains of Korean climbers lost in the Himalayas last fall, including renowned mountaineer Park Young-seok, will wrap up earlier than scheduled because of inclement conditions, officials said Monday.

Officials at the Park Young-seok Exploration and Cultural Foundation said rescue workers have decided to leave Annapurna in Nepal after a heavy snowfall in the region.

"The climbers discussed their plans at their base camp and decided there would be too many risks because of snow," one official said. "They will be coming home on Sept. 3."

The rescue climbers resumed their search for the remains of Park and his two teammates, Shin Dong-min and Kang Ki-seok, on Aug. 6, and were initially set to return home on Sept. 4.

The three went missing during their climb up Annapurna last October, and the subsequent search mission was suspended after 10 days for safety reasons. The funeral for the three climbers was held in South Korea in November.

The rescue workers first suspended their mission last week after facing an avalanche and were forced to retreat to their advanced camp at 5,200 meters above sea level.

According to the foundation, the rescue climbers had taken a helicopter to search the south side of the mountain, where they believe Park and his fellow climbers had gone missing, and also looked in deep crevasses that had formed along the mountain.

The foundation said there's no immediate plan for a follow-up search.

Annapurna is one of the world's 14 highest peaks, which are collectively called the "eight-thousanders" since each is at least 8,000 meters above sea level. Park had previously reached the top of Annapurna and was climbing a new route on the mountain's southern side.

Park was one of the world's most accomplished climbers. In 2005, he became the first in the world to complete the true Adventurers' Grand Slam, which entails reaching the North Pole and the South Pole, and scaling the 14 eight-thousanders and the Seven Summits, which are the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. (Yonhap)