South Korea's first disaster relief team sent to quake-hit Türkiye has returned home after rescuing eight survivors.

The foreign ministry said the Korea Disaster Relief Team arrived at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam at 7 a.m. Saturday and its leader, foreign ministry official Won Do-yeon, has reported their return.

Members of the first contingent will return to their respective posts next week after undergoing a medical checkup and evaluation for posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD). Its 118 members managed to rescue eight people from the rubble in Antakya in Hatay Province despite challenging conditions of freezing temperatures and lack of electricity and running water. 

The Turkish ambassador to Seoul Murat Tamer welcomed the team at the airport and expressed gratitude for their endeavors and support.

The second relief team from Korea including more medical professionals arrived in Türkiye on Friday to help with post-quake recovery efforts.