Lee put off a scheduled meeting with senior secretaries and presided instead over an emergency meeting on damage to Korean nationals. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kim Yoon-duck, National Fire Agency Commissioner Choi Yong-chul and acting National Police Agency Commissioner Yoo Jae-sung.
"The safety and lives of our citizens are in a very grave situation," Lee said. "Beyond the victims and those taking shelter on the ground, their families are also in a deeply distressing situation." He added, "With the Foreign Ministry at the center, mobilize all available personnel, including relevant ministries, the embassy on the ground and rapid response teams," and instructed officials to "activate every diplomatic channel with the Nepalese government and actively consult so that the resources needed for search and rescue are deployed."
Lee specifically received a report from Cho on government-wide response plans, including consultations with the Nepalese government, and ordered rescue personnel dispatched to the site as quickly as possible. He also called for the designation of a dedicated officer to handle requests from families of those stranded or out of contact on the ground, along with a public information officer to provide continuous updates on search and rescue efforts.
Earlier in the day, at a luncheon meeting with mayors and county and district heads at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said, "Nine of our nationals abroad are unaccounted for, and I ask for everyone's support so that they can all return safely as soon as possible." Immediately after being briefed on the accident the previous day, he issued an urgent instruction to devote all efforts to searching for and rescuing the missing.
Lee also decided to postpone a luncheon with Democratic Party lawmakers scheduled for Thursday. The party had planned to hold the luncheon at Cheong Wa Dae at Lee's invitation after wrapping up a two-day lawmakers' workshop running from Wednesday through Thursday. Kang Yu-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, said the decision "took into account that all efforts are being focused on securing the safety of our citizens."
