Two South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) agents reportedly died last month while on a mission in Nepal.
According to MBN on October 8, the agents were tasked with exploring potential escape routes for North Korean defectors through the region. It appears that they tragically lost their lives during operations in the treacherous mountainous terrain due to severe rainstorms.
Last month, Nepal experienced record-breaking rainfall—the worst in 22 years—triggering landslides in several areas.
Among those killed in the landslides were two NIS agents, both former members of the 707th Special Mission Battalion of the Army Special Warfare Command.
According to MBN, the agents were assigned the mission to explore new defector routes through Nepal. However, experts note that Nepal is geographically distant from North Korea’s traditional escape routes, which usually pass through China or Russia, making it an unlikely option for defectors.
Jo Han-beom, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, stated, “The primary defector routes have traditionally involved crossing into Southeast Asia via China or going through Mongolia. Nepal isn’t considered a suitable option.”
When asked to confirm the deaths of the agents or whether they were involved in opening defector routes, the NIS declined to comment.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
