(4th LD) S. Korea pledges US$1 mln for Nepal quake relief

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 2-9; ADDS last 3 paras)

SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Sunday pledged US$1 million in aid for earthquake-stricken Nepal and said it may consider sending an emergency rescue squad.

The decision was reached after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on Saturday devastated Nepal, leaving more than 2,000 people dead with some estimates putting the death toll as high as 4,500.

South Korea's foreign ministry said three Koreans were reported hurt so far. One was injured while building a local hydroelectric power plant in a region 70 kilometers north of Kathmandu, while two female travelers were hurt in a landslide. The worker's injury has been described as an abrasion, but one traveler was seriously hurt, authorities said. They said a situation room has been set up in Seoul to help Korean nationals wanting to leave.

The South Korean embassy in Kathmandu, which has already established a hot line so people can use it to contact the mission, said it is trying to find a way to evacuate the injured for medical attention. It said a help desk has been opened at Kathmandu airport to assist people wanting to leave the country by plane, with its staff trying to determine if more South Koreans were injured.

Relief organizations operating in the country such as Miral Welfare Foundation and Good Neighbors said none of their workers in the country were hurt by the killer quake, although the former said a school it is operating was damaged.

Both said many buildings in the areas they are operating in were destroyed and that conditions were serious in some parts of the country.

In a statement, the foreign ministry spokesman Noh Kwang-il offered Nepal and its people deep condolences and said South Korea will also "actively consider" dispatching an emergency response team, among additional relief measures.

About 650 South Koreans are living in Nepal, along with some 800-1,000 thought to be traveling the country. On average some 30,000 South Koreans visit the Himalayan country every year, with people staying an average of 10-14 days.

Earlier on Sunday, the Korean Red Cross said it had decided to offer Nepal US$100,000 in relief funds and ship thousands of blankets and emergency kits. It is also preparing to dispatch a team of emergency medical workers to the devastated country.

The Korean Red Cross also said it will start online and offline fundraising campaigns on Sunday.

Kim Sung-joo, head of the relief agency, has sent a letter of condolence to her Nepalese counterpart Sanjeev Thapa, vowing to provide quick support to help Nepal bounce back from the disaster.

Related to the quake, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it too is trying to determine the damage caused by the quake to projects undertaken by local companies.

"At present, the only damage and injury reported is related to the hydroelectric power plant," an official said. This US$33.2 million projects is being undertaken by Namdong Electrics, Kyeryong Construction and Daelim Industrial Co. that formed a consortium with a local company.

Korean Air, the country's No. 1 flag carrier, meanwhile, said it will continue to operate semiweekly flights to the country from Incheon International Airport, despite the disaster. It said the decision was made after a meeting of senior managers. The airline operates regular flights every Monday and Friday.

jeeho@yna.co.kr

yonngong@yna.co.kr
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