Two Koreans Missing for Four Days on Mont Blanc, France

Two Koreans climbing Mont Blanc in France have been out of contact for four days.

Mont Blanc, France / Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Korean Embassy in France on the 10th (local time), two members of a Korean mountaineering club (a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s) were reported missing on Mont Blanc on the 7th.

They visited the Chamonix-Mont Blanc area with five other members of the same mountaineering club. Of the seven members, three did not climb, and four climbed Mont Blanc on the 7th. The three who did not climb judged that the four climbers had an accident and reported it to the local consular officer on the same day.

Among the four climbers, two were unable to descend due to bad weather and were rescued by a mountain helicopter at an altitude of 4100m on the following day, the 8th. However, the remaining two have not been reached as of the 10th. Mont Blanc is the highest peak in the Alps, with an elevation of 4807m.

The local rescue team suspended the search for the remaining two on the morning of the 8th due to worsening weather conditions. In addition to them, two Italian climbers are also reported missing. The rescue team plans to continue the search for the missing as soon as the weather improves.

After receiving the distress report on the evening of the 7th, the Korean Embassy dispatched a consul to the site on the 8th. According to an embassy official, Ambassador Choi Jae-cheol of France requested active search efforts from the regional security chief (colonel) the day before, and received a response from the chief that they would do their utmost to rescue.

The embassy has also informed the families of the missing about the accident and is updating them on the rescue situation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.