People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk said on the 26th that he sincerely hopes all 18 South Koreans caught in massive flooding in Nepal return home safely and quickly, after eight were reported unreachable and 10 stranded.
Writing on Facebook, Jang said the Nepalese government has launched an emergency response and that Seoul plans to dispatch a joint rapid response team as soon as possible. "Every hour counts, so there must not be even the slightest delay," he said. "Please make every possible effort."
Jang also extended sympathy to Nepalese affected by the disaster, saying the party would spare no cooperation in providing necessary support. "We offer our condolences to the people of Nepal, who have suffered great damage," he said. "We hope rescue and recovery efforts are carried out swiftly."
Jeong Jum-sik, the party's floor leader, stressed the need for an all-out government response. "The 18 citizens who are unreachable or stranded are not tourists but employees of Korea Southern Power and Doosan Enerbility who were building a hydroelectric power plant there," Jeong said. "No life weighs more than another, but because these are employees working under contract to build infrastructure needed for the Nepalese people, we hope Nepalese authorities pay especially close attention to the search and rescue of our South Korean citizens." He added: "We urge the government to mobilize all of its diplomatic capacity and available means so that all our citizens return home safely."
