Corporate response teams rush to Nepal but can't reach site where 9 Koreans went missing

Corporate response teams from South Korea have been rushed to Nepal after nine Korean workers at a hydropower plant construction site lost contact following catastrophic flooding, but efforts to manage the crisis are running into serious obstacles, sources said.

According to Yonhap, the response teams had planned to secure the safe return of the missing workers and search the accident site. However, fears of a second major flood and a ban on helicopter flights have left them unable to even reach the affected area.

On Friday, field response teams from Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power held a joint meeting with government rapid-response personnel and other officials dispatched to the scene. The meeting covered future schedules and action plans, but conditions on the ground were so poor that even basic movement proved difficult.

The teams departed Incheon International Airport on Thursday afternoon, transited through Hong Kong, and arrived in the Nepali capital Kathmandu in the early hours of Friday, Korea time.

Doosan Enerbility's team is led by Vice Chairman and CEO Jeong Yeon-in, while Korea South-East Power dispatched Yoon Jang-hyeon, head of its new growth division.

Despite arriving in Nepal, the teams are struggling to make progress. Roads and bridges across the region have been washed away, making it impossible to reach the affected area by land. Helicopters are the only option.

Doosan Enerbility's team has secured two private helicopters, and Korea South-East Power has secured one and is working to obtain additional aircraft.

However, the Nepali government has yet to authorize helicopter flights, citing safety concerns including the risk of a natural dam lake overflowing. Even the private helicopters the corporate teams managed to secure on the ground remain grounded.

Fears of a second major flood are also mounting. Multiple foreign media reports emerged Friday saying the Nepali government had halted rescue operations and residents were being evacuated due to the threat of another large flood, casting further doubt on prospects for resolving the crisis.

The fate of the nine missing Korean workers — six from Doosan Enerbility and three from Korea South-East Power — remains unknown. At the time of the disaster, they were in accommodation and office buildings at relatively low elevations. Those structures are believed to have been swept away by the flooding.

Families of the missing met with reporters Friday and delivered a pointed message. "We have just one demand: whether it's the foreign minister or the president, please get helicopters in the air as fast as possible," they said. "Today is the golden hour — please, the helicopters must fly."

Earlier, nine of the 10 Korean workers from Doosan Enerbility who had been stranded by flooding were airlifted to safety by a Nepali military helicopter on Thursday.

The nine had initially been expected to travel to Kathmandu on Friday, but due to local conditions they have been unable to finalize travel plans and remain at accommodation within the safe zone.

The remaining worker, a Doosan Enerbility site manager, has chosen to stay behind until all local employees are rescued.