20s Korean Climbing Himalayas Alone Found Dead While Showering

Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Policy on Providing Consular Assistance

A Korean national who embarked on a climb of the Nepal Himalayas has died in an accident. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to provide necessary assistance to the bereaved family, including the transportation of the body.

According to the local Nepalese media outlet 'Himalaya Times,' a Korean man in his 20s, Mr. A, died while taking a shower at a resort in Gokyo Village, Khumbu region. The media speculates that the deceased Mr. A was trekking alone.

Himalaya Mountain Range [Image source=Getty Images]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated on the 1st, "An accident occurred in which one of our nationals died at an accommodation in the high mountain area of the Nepal Himalayas." However, the ministry added that they cannot disclose the identity or exact cause of death due to privacy reasons.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to provide necessary consular assistance such as transporting the body, supporting the bereaved family's entry into Nepal, and guiding them through autopsy and funeral procedures.

The Nepalese government has prohibited solo climbing in the Himalayas since 2017. This is because there have been repeated cases of death or disappearance due to altitude sickness while climbing the high-altitude Himalayas alone. According to the Nepal Tourism Board, an average of 40 to 50 people go missing each year during trekking in the Himalayas.

Nevertheless, despite the Nepalese government's policy, many climbers still attempt solo ascents of the Himalayas.

According to Nepalese government statistics, before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, over 400,000 tourists visited the Himalaya National Park for climbing and trekking, and among them, about 46,000 undertook solo trekking.

Since then, the Nepal Tourism Board has established a policy requiring foreign tourists to hire guides and porters through locally registered trekking agencies when entering the Himalaya National Park.