1. The Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) was classified as “heavy” by the UN’s International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) after its review from November 14 to 18, its capabilities having won recognition from the international community.

° The KDRT became the world’s 17th to be classified as “heavy” in 2011, when the group, for the first time ever, underwent the INSARAG External Classification (IEC) process.

2. The UN INSARAG classifies every five years rescue teams of individual countries, which carry out operations in disaster-affected areas across the world, as “heavy,” “medium” or “light” according to their capabilities. Those classified as “heavy” are granted priority access to disaster-affected areas for rescue operations.

3. The government of the Republic of Korea has sent the KDRT overseas 15 times to support rescue efforts in the wake of disasters -- the first such case in the wake of a plane crash in Cambodia in 1997 and the latest case on the heels of the earthquake in Nepal in 2015. By doing so, it has been taking an active part in emergency rescue operations by the international community.

4. Reclassified as “heavy” under the IEC system, the KDRT is expected to live up to the spirit of humanitarianism in disaster-affected areas across the world and contribute to the international community.


* unofficial translation