South Korea has dispatched a military transport aircraft carrying an emergency relief team to Nepal, according to news.kbs.co.kr. The flight departed on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, with the stated mission of locating and rescuing South Korean nationals in the flood-affected country.
The aircraft is transporting members of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), the nation's overseas emergency response unit, as reported by SeoulPn and Dong-A Ilbo. The deployment follows severe flooding in Nepal that has created an urgent need for search and rescue operations.
According to YTN, a rapid response unit has already entered a location called "Dunchae," where missing persons are believed to be, and is conducting a joint search. Video footage of the operation at the site has been released to the public.
The decision to send a military transport plane rather than a civilian flight underscores the urgency of the situation. The KDRT is the country's specialized unit for international disaster response, and its activation signals a significant crisis in Nepal.
The team's primary objective, as stated by officials cited in the reports, is to find South Korean citizens who may be missing or trapped in the aftermath of the floods. The military aircraft allows for rapid deployment of personnel and equipment directly to the disaster zone.
The exact number of South Korean nationals affected by the flooding has not been disclosed in the available reports. The scale of the disaster in Nepal and the full extent of the damage also remain unclear from the information provided.
Observers will be watching for updates on the search results and any further information about the condition of South Korean citizens in Nepal. The success of the KDRT mission will depend on access to the affected areas and the cooperation of local authorities.
