Korean actress volunteers in Nepal, gets caught in 2nd quake
When she heard about the earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25, actress Kim Hyun Joo knew what she had to do.
The 38-year-old rearranged her work schedule, just so she could fly to Gorkha on Monday (May 11) night to volunteer for a week.
But the Korean beauty, best known for her Cinderella-like role in Korean dramas Glass Slippers (2002), had to temporarily stop helping others - and take shelter too - when the second quake hit yesterday (May 12).
BBC News reported that yesterday's 7.3-magnitude tremor near Mount Everest left at least 48 dead and 1,000 people injured.
The first 7.8-magnitude tremor killed more than 8,000 people.
Korean news websites K-pop Herald, Yonhap News Agency and Allkpop reported she is safe and has since resumed with medical care and life-saving supply distribution.
The devastation in Nepal. PHOTO: GOOD NEIGHBOURS WEBSITE
Kim, a graduate of Dankook University, is famed for her interest in charity work.
She is in Nepal through Good Neighbours, an international non-profit humanitarian organisation that focuses on child education, community development and emergency relief projects.
The outfit has fundraising offices in Korea and the US.
A spokesman for Good Neighbours said: "Kim Hyun Joo expressed an interest in flying to the region as soon as (she heard about) the earthquake."
Besides supply distribution, she also reports on the condition of children whom Good Neighbours support.
Kim Hyun Joo is one of the aid workers in Nepal helping the earthquake victims. PHOTO: GOOD NEIGHBOURS WEBSITE
Yesterday afternoon, she was with a 15-member medical team heading to an area outside Gorkha when the earthquake struck.
The Good Neighbours spokesman said today:
"We just managed to get in contact with the people there.
"We've confirmed that they are all safe.
"As the area (they were at) had falling rocks, we have planned for them to be on standby until stability is secured."
Sources: BBC News, K-pop Herald, Allkpop, Yonhap News Agency
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