Far from home, Nepali students in Korea grapple with tragedy of flood
Some lost family members and friends, while others are coming together in solidarity to maintain attention on the devastation and the effects of the climate crisis.
A solidarity statement posted on social media by the Society of Nepalese Students in Korea, or Sonsik, on Aug. 27 expresses support for the families of those missing and people affected by the floods in Nepal.SCREEN CAPTURE
Nepali students in Korea are grappling with the aftermath of the devastating floods back home, with some rushing back to be with their families while others remain in Korea due to visa and academic constraints, anxiously awaiting news of loved ones.
“Among the students our association is in contact with, four Nepali students who have family members or acquaintances in Rasuwa hurried back to Nepal a day or two after the floods,” said Sonam Sherpa, vice president of the Society of Nepalese Students in Korea, or Sonsik.
With the disaster striking just before the start of the second semester, which begins in September, the students gave up an entire semester to return home, according to Sherpa.
“As international students can face disadvantages with attendance and other academic requirements if they leave for Nepal while enrolled in a semester, I understand that they took a leave of absence before returning home,” Sherpa said.
Those unable to return are desperately waiting for news of missing family members and friends.
Lakpa Chiring, a student at Kyungsung University, lost contact with his father, who had been working in Rasuwa, after the floods struck.
“My daddy was working in Rasuwa district, and he went missing after that flood,” Chiring said. “So I lost my father in that incident.”
“He was working at the border. I just saw that terrible video recording of that border area and I can’t believe that he is no more with us."
A flyer made by Lakpa Chiring's family as part of efforts to find his father after the floods in Nepal.LAKPA CHIRING
Chiring’s family in Sindhupalchok district, Bagmati province, made missing person flyers for his father and posted them throughout the area shortly after the floods. After a week passed without confirmation of whether he was alive, the family held Buddhist funeral rites for him.
“I talked to my family members about returning, but they consoled me and said that I have to study well, manage all other things and not stress much,” Chiring said. “So these things stopped me from returning home.”
“Maybe after a while I will return to Nepal and meet all my other family members.”
Some students have been unable to return to Nepal because of visa issues.
Koirala Suman, an international student from the flood-hit Nuwakot area of Bagmati province, has a friend of 17 years who remains missing.
“[The place] is complete chaos,” Suman said. “The school ground I used to play all were swept over.”
Suman wanted to return to Nepal to comfort his family but was unable to leave Korea immediately because of his visa. He must return to Korea before his visa expires, but it is set to expire later this month. He said that he is going to visit his university around next week to renew his visa and then return to Nepal.
Missing persons flyers cover a wall at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Aug. 29.BYUN MIN-CHUL
Even Nepali students who were not directly affected by the disaster are calling for sustained international attention to the situation.
“These were the circumstances due to climate change,” Suzit Sahu, a student at Seoul Christian University, said. “This time it was Nepal; next time, any other country."
“I want to say that everybody should pay attention to prevention [when] we still do have time.”
Basnet Sharmila, who attends the same university, also urged people around the world to feel a sense of responsibility and pay attention so that devastation like this does not happen again.
Universities with large numbers of Nepali students have launched campaigns to raise awareness and support recovery efforts.
Students and faculty members at Hoseo University take part in a campaign to support people affected by the floods in Nepal.HOSEO UNIVERSITY
At Hoseo University, about 100 international students are leading a solidarity campaign titled “Save Nepal, Save Us, Save Earth.” The campaign aims to raise donations for people affected by the floods and draw global attention to the climate crisis.
About 15,000 Nepali students were enrolled at Korean universities as of the end of last year, according to data from the Ministry of Justice's immigration information center. Nepal ranked No. 4 in the number of international students in Korea behind Vietnam, China and Uzbekistan, which has sparked calls for temporary flexibility in attendance requirements and immigration restrictions for students affected by the floods.
Some universities have begun assessing how their Nepali students have been affected. Seoul Christian University, which has about 1,500 Nepali students, has been surveying all of them since last week.
“We are looking to meet Nepal’s consul general soon to discuss support measures for the students,” said Park Gi-cheon, the dean of foreign affairs at the university. “We intend to provide donations to students whose families or others close to them were directly affected, and some students are experiencing psychological distress, so we are also considering how we can support them.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
