Who are the Koreans missing in the Nepal floods and where were they working?

The missing include six employees of Doosan Enerbility and three workers from Korea South-East Power. They were working on a hydropower plant in Nepal's Rasuwa district when the flooding hit.

What did the South Korean government do after the Nepal flood emergency?

Seoul said it would dispatch a joint rapid response team on Thursday to support search and rescue efforts. The team will include foreign ministry, police and fire officials, and President Lee Jae Myung ordered the government to use all available resources.

What is the status of the other Koreans in the Nepal flood area?

Ten other Koreans affiliated with Doosan were confirmed safe after evacuating the area, but they were still awaiting rescue. They were among about 200 foreign employees who had left the site during the emergency.

9 Koreans remain missing in Nepal floods; gov't team to be dispatched

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Summary

Nine Koreans remain unaccounted for after massive flooding in Nepal, and Seoul plans to send a joint rapid response team to Kathmandu on Thursday. The missing include six Doosan Enerbility employees and three Korea South-East Power workers who were at a hydropower plant site in Rasuwa district. Ten other Koreans affiliated with Doosan were confirmed safe but were still awaiting rescue. President Lee Jae Myung ordered all-out search and rescue efforts, while Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said he would seek Nepalese cooperation.

Key Facts

The government team will include officials from the foreign ministry, police and fire authorities, and is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu later Thursday.
The nine missing Koreans were working on a hydropower plant in Nepal's Rasuwa district when the flooding occurred Wednesday.
Ten other Koreans affiliated with Doosan had evacuated the area with about 200 foreign employees and were confirmed safe.
Cho Hyun said he would speak with Nepal's foreign minister and ask for cooperation in the search and rescue effort.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 27, 2026 7:58 am KST
Updated Aug 27, 2026 8:10 am KST

A resident walks along a street covered in mud following flash floods and a landslide disaster in Devghat, in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Wednesday. AFP-Yonhap

Nine Koreans remain unaccounted for following massive flooding in Nepal, with the government set to dispatch a joint rapid response team to the scene Thursday to support search and rescue efforts, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The nine missing Koreans are six employees of plant builder Doosan Enerbility Co. and three of Korea South-East Power Co., a state-run power generation company. They were working on a hydropower plant in Nepal's Rasuwa district when the flooding occurred Wednesday, according to the ministry.

Separately, 10 other Koreans affiliated with Doosan who had been stranded in the area were confirmed safe but were still awaiting rescue, the ministry said. They were among about 200 foreign employees who had evacuated the area while working on the construction project.

The government team, comprising officials from the foreign ministry, police and fire authorities, is scheduled to head to Nepal and arrive in Kathmandu later Thursday, the ministry said.

President Lee Jae Myung has ordered the government to make every effort to search for and rescue the missing Koreans, mobilizing all available resources.

"President Lee also instructed us to work closely with the Nepalese government and local authorities, support the families of those who remain unaccounted for, ensure the safety of Koreans still in the area and do our utmost to prevent further casualties," Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said while presiding over an emergency response meeting on Wednesday.

"I will also speak with Nepal's foreign minister and ask for cooperation," Cho added.

Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power have also set up their own emergency response teams and are working to dispatch field response teams to the accident site, officials said.

The massive flash floods occurred near the Nepal-Tibet border, killing more than 160 people and leaving hundreds of others missing, most of them foreigners, according to foreign media reports.

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