Ruling and opposition parties urge government to mobilize all available resources

National Assembly Speaker pledges immediate support

National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik speaks at a meeting with ruling and opposition floor leaders at his office in the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Aug. 11. From left: Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do, Speaker Jo and People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik.
National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik speaks at a meeting with ruling and opposition floor leaders at his office in the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Aug. 11. From left: Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do, Speaker Jo and People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik.

South Korean politicians across party lines on Thursday called on the government to respond swiftly after Korean nationals went missing or became stranded following severe flooding in Nepal.

National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik said on Facebook that diplomatic authorities should "pour every ounce of effort into protecting the lives and safety of our citizens," adding that the National Assembly would "do everything it can and immediately provide whatever support is needed."

The Democratic Party of Korea urged the government to stay in close communication and act quickly. Floor Leader Han Byung-do, speaking at a policy coordination meeting at the National Assembly, called on the government to "make every possible effort in the search and rescue of the missing." Han said the government should not only dispatch a rapid-response team as planned on Thursday but also work closely with Nepali authorities to ensure the safe rescue of Korean nationals. "The Democratic Party and the National Assembly will spare no effort to help our citizens return to their families," he added.

Party leader Kim Min-seok said Wednesday he had spoken by phone with the foreign minister and asked that there be no gaps in deploying rescue personnel to the site. "The National Assembly will do everything necessary," he said, and went on to say, "I am praying for those in distress and for the families who cannot sleep with worry. Please, let us all come together."

Secretary General Han Jeong-ae said that, in line with President Lee Jae Myung's order for an all-out response, the government planned to establish an overseas nationals protection task force and dispatch a joint government rapid-response team to Nepal. "I sincerely hope everyone returns safely," she said.

The People Power Party also pressed for a rapid rescue operation. PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok said the Nepali government had launched an emergency response and that the South Korean government planned to dispatch a joint rapid-response team in the shortest possible time. "Every moment counts, and there must be no delay whatsoever," he said, urging that "every possible effort be made."

Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik said the 18 Koreans who are out of contact or stranded "are not tourists but employees of Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility who were building a hydropower plant there." He said that while every life is equally precious, the workers were under contract building infrastructure for the Nepali people, and he urged Nepali authorities to pay special attention to the search and rescue of South Korean nationals.

Han Dong-hoon, an independent lawmaker on the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, said he sincerely hoped all Korean nationals would return safely and urged the South Korean Embassy in Nepal, which had dispatched a consular officer to the scene, to do everything possible to ensure their safety.


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