“Oh, two cameramen from Korean Broadcasting Service, and three Sherpas made it to the top at 3:03 pm local time,” said Song Heakyong, an officer at the Korean Treks and Expedition, Oh´s agency in Kathmandu. [break]
Oh´s ascent to the top was broadcast live by the Korean Broadcasting Service. Oh planted a South Korean flag atop Mt. Annapurna before retreating. She was shown crawling on all fours atop the mountain.
This was Oh´s second attempt to scale Mt. Annapurna, considered one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. Last October, she retreated from the slopes of the mountain due to bad weather.
Oh narrowly beat Spain´s Edurne Pasaban, who has climbed 13 of the 14 highest peaks and is attempting the last 8,000-er, Shisha Pangma located in Tibet. Measuring just 8,027 meters, Shisha Pangma is the smallest of the 14 peaks.
Italy´s Reinhold Messner became the first person to climb all the 14 peaks, which he did in 1986. After him, several male climbers have achieved the feat. But women climbers had not been able to so until Tuesday.
According to South Korea´s Yonhap News Agency, Oh reached the top of Mt Annapurna without the aid of oxygen.
Oh quit her job at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in 1993 and started climbing mountains. Her ascent of the 8,035 meter Gasherbrum II was the first 8,000-er that she conquered. She climbed the mountain in 1997. She scaled Mt Everest in 2004.
Related story
Aiming to scale the highest peaks of seven continents
