South Korean rescue officials deployed to Nepal boarded two chartered helicopters on Saturday, 29 August to search for nine South Korean nationals missing since catastrophic flash floods tore through the country's north-central Himalayan border region, Seoul's foreign ministry confirmed. The search marks the fourth consecutive day that the workers remain unaccounted for.

Who Is Missing and Where

Six employees of Doosan Enerbility Co. and three workers from Korea South-East Power Co. were at a hydroelectric power plant construction site in Rasuwa district when the floods struck on Wednesday. The helicopters — each carrying four members of the government's rapid response team — departed from Kathmandu and headed toward the flood-affected zone where the missing workers are believed to be located.

Separately, ten other Doosan workers who had been stranded at a different location were successfully evacuated to safety, according to reports.

Access Challenges Slowing the Search

The government response team had faced significant hurdles reaching the flood sites, as Nepali authorities have restricted foreign access to the area, citing unpredictable weather and the ongoing risk of further flooding. Korea South-East Power conducted a brief helicopter search on Friday after receiving late clearance from local authorities just before sunset, but failed to locate the missing personnel.

'We believe they could be at the base camp, as safety protocols direct evacuees to higher ground. If we get to fly the helicopter, we will thoroughly search that area,' a company official said.

Separate corporate search teams from both Korea South-East Power and Doosan obtained independent clearance from local authorities and were preparing their own searches on Saturday. Doosan confirmed it was ready to deploy drones to the sites if required.

Seoul Scales Up Its Response

An additional team of nine government officials from Seoul, including firefighters, departed for Kathmandu on Saturday to reinforce the existing 11-member response team already operating in Nepal. In total, the government and corporate rescue teams have rented six helicopters to cover the flood-affected terrain, as the disaster has destroyed roads and bridges across the region.

Seoul has also offered to deploy a Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) — a statutory emergency response unit capable of providing search and rescue personnel, medical support, and relief supplies — and is in active talks with Nepali authorities about the proposal.

'We are fully preparing to dispatch a KDRT at any time once the Nepali side accepts our proposal,' a Seoul foreign ministry official said.

Nepal's Position on Foreign Assistance

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said on Friday that the country requires specialised technical help to restore transportation and communication infrastructure, but not external assistance for search and rescue operations specifically. Nepali authorities are prioritising military and police-led operations, given the region's challenging terrain and volatile weather. Seoul has indicated it will await a formal request before deploying the KDRT.

With weather conditions remaining unpredictable and the search entering its fourth day, the window for locating survivors is narrowing — making the next 24 to 48 hours critical for the families and governments watching closely from Seoul.