Kang Ki-seok

Kang Ki-seok (; September 10, 1978 – October 18, 2011) was a South Korean mountaineer. Kang helped forge a new route on Mount Everest and was considered one of Korea's most promising mountaineers of his generation.

Biography Kang Ki-seok was the eldest of two sons and one daughter, born to a family from Andong, Korea. In 1997, Kang Ki-seok entered Andong National University. There, he joined the university Mountaineering Club and began climbing in the Himalayas in 2003. In 2004, he led a student expedition to climb Denali, and then went to explore the mountain regions of western China.

In 2006, Kang Ki-seok graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering. That year, he made his first attempt on the south face of Lhotse, where he was hit by rockfall and injured. He climbed down to base camp, rested for two weeks and then tried another attempt at the summit. He had to descend after reaching the final camp before the summit. It was unsuccessful, and the climbers vowed to return the next year. During the climb, Kang Ki-seok was hit by a human-sized boulder, injuring his knee. After resting at basecamp for a few days, he had to be airlifted to Kathmandu, and then flown to Korea for surgery for a torn tendon. The team chose to climb in October, which is considered late in the season, in an attempt to avoid avalanches and rockfalls. On October 18, the group lost contact and went missing on the mountain.

The Korean Alpine Federation dispatched a rescue team of five Koreans and fourteen Sherpas in an expansive attempt to rescue them. According to reports by local Sherpas, there was evidence of an avalanche and a cut rope, suggesting either a rockfall or avalanche had trapped the climbers. by the Korea Alpine Federation with all domestic mountaineering organizations participating and hundreds of mourners in attendance. It was the first time the organization had organized such an event. Kang was posthumously awarded the Order of Sports Merit, third class, Geojang Medal by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

At the time of Kang's death, he had plans to climb Makalu's west face (8,463m) and create a new route on the south face of Lhotse. No trace of the missing climbers has been found. A subsequent expedition in 2016 was again unsuccessful.

In 2016, Kang Ki-seok was posthumously honored with the 'Alumni Who Made the Alma Mater Shine' award by the Andong National University Alumni Association. That year, a documentary was released, covering a memorial climb to Annapurna by the family members of the missing climbers.

Expeditions

2003: West Face of Lhotse (8,516m) 2004: Denali · Korea Alpine Federation Youth Wilderness Exploration Team (Western China) · Baekdu-daegan Crossing (24 days) 2005: Joshua Tree, the three major north faces of the Alps: Eiger (3,970m), Matterhorn (4,478m), Grande Jorasses (4,205m), and Aiguille du Dru (3,754) 2006: South Face of Lhotse (8,516m) 2008: Gasherbrum II (8,035m) 2008: South West Face of Everest (8,848m) 2009: Everest (8,848m) South West Face Korean New Route 2010: Annapurna, abandoned at 6100m due to weather 2011: Annapurna

Awards Order of Sports Merit, Geosang Medal (Giant Elephant) 거상장