The Japan Times received this letter from Lee Dong Sung, chief commander of the Korea International Disaster Relief Team of the National Emergency Management Agency of South Korea, who led one of the first international relief teams to enter the devastated areas in northeastern Japan following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. A career firefighter and a veteran worker in the field of disaster relief efforts, Lee said he felt sorry for the loss and despair of the unprecedented disaster but was moved by the resilience of the people who faced the calamity.
First of all, I want to express my deepest condolences to the people who were influenced by the earthquakes and tsunami. I would also like to pay my specific appreciation and respect to the people who are courageously and indomitably confronting the disaster, which is considered one of the worst in history.
The Korean International Disaster Relief Team led by myself with 107 members and two rescue dogs conducted rescue operations for 11 days starting March 12 around the city of Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, which suffered a deadly inundation by tsunami.