Key facts
- South Korea is considering dispatching a disaster relief team to Venezuela.
- Venezuela has been devastated by a series of strong earthquakes.
- The earthquakes have resulted in at least 1,719 deaths and 5,000 injuries.
- South Korea previously pledged $5 million in humanitarian aid.
- The Korean Embassy in Venezuela sustained damage.
SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government is contemplating sending a disaster relief team to Venezuela, which has been severely impacted by recent powerful earthquakes. This consideration comes in addition to an earlier commitment of $5 million in humanitarian aid.
Park Il, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, stated that the government is closely observing the situation in Venezuela following last week's seismic activity. The earthquakes have tragically claimed the lives of at least 1,719 people, injured approximately 5,000, and displaced about 12,000, according to Venezuelan authorities.
Earlier over the weekend, Venezuela's government communicated a request for other nations to refrain from sending medical teams, indicating that emergency medical care was nearing completion and the nation's focus had shifted to infrastructure reconstruction. Park noted that in past overseas disaster responses, South Korea has typically deployed medical assistance teams rather than rescue units, citing the significant distance and the limited timeframe for life-saving operations.
In addition to the financial aid, the foreign ministry reported that no South Korean nationals in Venezuela have been harmed. However, the Korean Embassy and the ambassador's residence did sustain damage, with the embassy being the most affected. The residence is currently functioning as a temporary hub for diplomatic activities.