"They are believed to have died after strong winds swept them down a steep slope," an embassy official said. "One body was found right near the base camp, and the other eight are at the bottom of the valley."

Kim, 49, was a veteran climber who became the first South Korean in 2013 to summit all 14 Himalayan peaks over 8,000 meters without using supplemental oxygen. He also set various other world climbing records.

Kim's expedition team was comprised of six members, but one of them stayed at the foot of the 7,193-meter mountain due to health issues. As the other climbers did not return Friday, the remaining member sent a Nepalese guide to the base camp, who found the camp in tatters, embassy officials said. (Yonhap)