Foreign Minister Cho holds second call with Nepal counterpart, urges 'special cooperation'

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke Monday with Nepalese Foreign Minister Sishir Koirala for the second time since flooding struck Nepal, urging "special cooperation" to swiftly search for and rescue nine South Korean nationals who remain out of contact, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Cho asked Nepal to deploy its military to concentrate search operations around the area where the missing nationals are believed to have last made contact, and expressed hope that the search could proceed smoothly through close coordination between the Nepalese side and the government's joint rapid-response team already on the ground.

He also expressed gratitude to the Nepalese government for safely rescuing 10 South Koreans who had been stranded in the affected area.

Koirala thanked the South Korean side for its expressions of sympathy and solidarity, and briefed Cho on the extent of the damage and the status of on-site search operations, including conditions inside the tunnel. Cho said Seoul is reviewing support measures focused on areas where Nepal has identified needs.

"Nepal has requested personnel and equipment support related to search and rescue operations," the ministry's spokesperson office said. "Our government is reviewing support measures centered on Nepal's requests."