▶ Visit begins 10 November: Human Schools in western Nepal (15th and 20th) and Kathmandu (16th) on the itinerary
▶ Construction of the 20th Human School at Shikhar Secondary School, Surkhet, to begin mid-November — total budget about NPR 71.2 million
Mountaineer, Captain Um Hong-gil, Executive Director of the Um Hong-gil Human Foundation (UHGHF), will return to Nepal on 10 November to deliver educational supplies to students at UHGHF-supported Human Schools and to review ongoing school construction and other education projects.
Following the devastating floods that struck Nepal on 26 August, Captain Um stayed in Nepal from 23 September to 1 October to lead emergency relief. Despite blocked roads caused by monsoon and cyclone-related weather, the Foundation reached hard-to-access areas of Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Gorkha by detouring overland and by helicopter, delivering medicines, shelter tents, winter clothing, blankets and other daily necessities.
The relief effort also included free medical camps; special scholarships for flood-affected students; a medical cooperation MOU with local medical institutions; a field visit to areas where Korean nationals went missing; and a donation of USD 30,000 to the Government of Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (PMDRF). On 25 September, UHGHF signed a tripartite MOU with Kathmandu Model Hospital and the Nepal Epilepsy Association on emergency relief and community health, and on 28 September Captain Um paid tribute for flood victims.
In October, around the Dashain festival, the Government of Nepal announced that, despite the heavy loss of life, it would focus on economic recovery and infrastructure reconstruction rather than further search operations, and called for international support. In line with its founding mission — education in remote areas, human resource development and better health for local communities — UHGHF is strengthening its support in education and health.
Itinerary and Key Activities, November–December
Date | Location | Main activities |
|---|---|---|
From 10 Nov (date to be confirmed) | 15th Human School Jana Kalyan Secondary School (Simpani, Rolpa) | Delivery of winter sportswear and school supplies; meeting with three students who visited Korea in 2018 |
| 21 Nov | 20th Human School Shikhar Secondary School (Ramghat, Surkhet) | Review of construction preparations; distribution of school bags |
| 23 Nov | 16th Human School Prithvi Narayan Secondary School (Goldhunga–Tarkeshwor, Kathmandu) | Discussion of school needs and support measures |
1. 15th Human School — Jana Kalyan Secondary School, Simpani, Rolpa
Captain Um will visit the 15th Human School together with Woo Dong-ki, former Superintendent of the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education, and Oh Seok-hwan, former Deputy Superintendent. The school lies in a remote western hill area: two days by road from Kathmandu, or by air to Nepalgunj and then six more hours by road. It is a public school serving grades up to 10, with 420 students.
Based on a needs survey of students, the delegation will hand over winter sportswear and stationery. Mr. Woo also plans to meet and encourage three students who visited Korea in June 2018 with support from the Daegu Office of Education.
The Daegu Office of Education has supported modernization of the school since 2017. On 26 April 2018 it opened a modern 18-classroom building, a gender-friendly toilet block, a computer room and a library, and also provided furniture. With support from World Taekwondo Federation(WTF), 211 students receive regular Taekwondo training. UHGHF is also considering a livestock bank project, such as buffalo and goat banks, to strengthen students’ family incomes.
2. 20th Human School — Shikhar Secondary School, Ramghat, Surkhet
On 21 November, Captain Um will visit the 20th UHGHF-supported school, Shikhar Secondary School in Ramghat, Surkhet. A public school with 771 students and 32 teachers up to grade 12, it sits in a poor rural area. Its old classrooms stand beside a bare, open ground, and dozens of students study in cramped rooms without proper lighting.
With financial support from Incheon International Airport Corporation, UHGHF plans to build a modern three-storey school building (18 classrooms), a gender-friendly toilet block and a two-storey hostel (15 rooms) on the school premises by 2029. UHGHF and the School Management Committee selected a contractor through e-bidding on 19 August, and construction is scheduled to start in mid-November.
Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Three-storey classroom building (18 classrooms); gender-friendly toilet block; two-storey hostel (15 rooms) |
| Total budget | NPR 71,223,992 (about KRW 712.23 million) |
| Funding | Incheon International Airport Corporation: KRW 574.24 million; local government grant: NPR 13.8 million (about KRW 138 million) |
| Timeline | Contractor selected 19 Aug → construction from mid-Nov → completion by 2029 |
3. 16th Human School — Prithvi Narayan Secondary School, Kathmandu
On 23 November, after returning to Kathmandu, Captain Um will visit Prithvi Narayan Secondary School in Goldhunga–Tarkeshwor on the outskirts of the capital. With 1,550 students, including 25 visually impaired students, it has become a popular and well-regarded school since joining the UHGHF program in 2019. In 2025 it ranked first in academic achievement among public schools in the Kathmandu area, and it has produced perfect scorers in the Secondary Education Examination (SEE): one in 2023 and two in 2025.
With help from Korean supporters including Geumcheon Seonwon, Human scape Korea and the Yangju Rotary Club, the school completed three modern buildings, a library and digital classroom, a gender-respecting toilet block, a multipurpose gymnasium, a science laboratory and a canteen by 2025. In keeping with the Human School mission, it also offers Korean language (35 students) and Taekwondo (70 students) courses to share Korean language and culture. The spouse of a former Korean Ambassador to Nepal also volunteered for two years to support Korean-language teaching.
From 2023 to April 2026, UHGHF ran a pilot Korean course for 35 students. Given positive student response and requests to continue, UHGHF plans to open four elective Korean-language courses for grades 9–12 from April 2027. In Taekwondo, 16 of 75 trainees earned black belts this year.
UHGHF is also providing a special scholarship to 33 students at the school who lost immediate family members in the August floods, so that they can continue their studies. In addition, for students who are keen to study in Korea but cannot afford it, UHGHF will provide a scholarship of KRW 4 million per year from 2027, together with the GibumPark Foundation.
About Captain Um Hong-gil and the Um Hong-gil Human Foundation
Um Hong-gil is the first person in the world to complete all sixteen of the Himalayan peaks above 8,000 metres. In keeping with the promise he made to the mountains, he founded the Um Hong-gil Human Foundation, which runs education, health and welfare programs for students and residents of underserved areas of Nepal. His ties with Nepal go back to 1985, and the Foundation has supported 20 Human Schools in remote areas. This visit continues that commitment to sustainable recovery and to education and health self-reliance after the floods.
Photos from the visit will be shared after the itinerary concludes. Media inquiries and interview requests: UHGHF Media Office.
