S. Korea to deploy KC-330 Cygnus transport jet for Nepal flood relief

The South Korean government has decided to deploy the Air Force's KC-330 Cygnus multirole transport aircraft to support relief efforts following the massive floods in Nepal.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense said Friday that the government plans to deploy the KC-330 Cygnus in response to the Nepal flood disaster, adding that details including the schedule are being coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The deployment came after fire authorities requested the aircraft to transport relief supplies and equipment to the site. The military finalized the decision after consulting with Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority on local conditions, including runway and refueling facilities.

The KC-330 Cygnus drew attention in March after successfully carrying out Operation Desert Light, which evacuated South Korean nationals from the Middle East. The aircraft spans 60.3 meters in wingspan, 58.8 meters in length and 17.4 meters in height, and shares a structure similar to a commercial airliner when its fuel tanks and rear refueling equipment are excluded. Without passengers or cargo, it can fly up to 14,800 kilometers nonstop and carry up to about 300 personnel or 37 metric tons of cargo. Drawing on these capabilities, it has carried out national-level missions including evacuating South Korean nationals during overseas disasters and transporting troops and supplies to overseas deployments.

The government is currently consulting with Nepali authorities on whether to dispatch an emergency relief team, and if the dispatch is finalized, the Cygnus is expected to transport the team's personnel to Nepal as well.

Meanwhile, the government's rapid response team, which arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday, plans to travel by helicopter to the disaster site. Team leader Im Sang-woo is expected to meet with senior Nepali officials and formally request an active search for missing South Korean nationals.

A Foreign Ministry official said the team would consult on the ground with representatives from Doosan Enerbility and South East Power and travel together by helicopter, adding that they would assess the situation at the site and map out the direction and measures for the search going forward.

The Foreign Ministry also announced Friday that it has appointed Park Jae-kyung, the current ambassador to Zimbabwe, as the new ambassador to Nepal.

The South Korean Embassy in Nepal has been operating under a chargé d'affaires since former Ambassador Park Tae-young was recently reassigned as consul general in Istanbul. With only six civil servants including the chargé d'affaires, questions have been raised about whether the small mission has sufficient staff to handle emergencies involving South Korean nationals who are unreachable or stranded.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Nepali authorities used military helicopters on Thursday to evacuate nine of the 10 South Korean nationals who had been stranded and awaiting rescue, moving them to safety.

The remaining individual — the Doosan Enerbility site manager — stayed behind. He is understood to have said he would be the last to leave, after all 15 local and foreign workers at the site, including Nepali nationals, had been rescued and evacuated.

The whereabouts of nine South Korean nationals who remain out of contact have yet to be confirmed despite search and rescue operations by Nepali authorities. They are believed to have been swept away by floodwaters while staying in Korean-only offices and accommodations located near a river in a relatively low-lying area.

Roads, bridges and communications infrastructure at the disaster site have been completely destroyed, and the rugged terrain has limited access to Nepali military and police forces only. Nighttime search operations are also impossible, posing significant challenges to the effort to locate and rescue the missing.