South Korea pledges $1m for Nepal quake relief

South Korea on Sunday pledged US$1 million in aid for earthquake-stricken Nepal and said it may consider sending an emergency rescue squad, Yonhap reported.

The decision was reached after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on Saturday devastated Nepal, leaving more than 1,800 people dead and thousands of others injured.

One South Korean was hurt while building a local hydroelectric power plant in a region 70 kilometers north of Kathmandu, according to the foreign ministry, which added that the injury wasn't life-threatening.

In a statement, the foreign ministry spokesman Noh Kwang-il offered Nepal and its people deep condolences and said South Korea will also "actively consider" dispatching an emergency response team, among additional relief measures.

The ministry has set up an emergency response center, and the South Korean Embassy in Nepal is checking to see if there are more injuries among South Koreans. As of Sunday afternoon in Seoul, the ministry said no further injuries have been reported.

About 650 South Koreans are living in Nepal, along with several other tourists.

Earlier on Sunday, the Korean Red Cross said it had decided to offer Nepal US$100,000 in relief funds and ship thousands of blankets and emergency kits. It is also preparing to dispatch a team of emergency medical workers to the devastated country.

The Korean Red Cross also said it will start online and offline fundraising campaigns on Sunday.

Kim Sung-joo, the head of the relief agency, has sent a letter of condolence to her Nepalese counterpart Sanjeev Thapa, vowing to provide quick support to help Nepal bounce back from the disaster.