A French rescue team has found the body of a South Korean man who went missing in the Alps earlier in the week, the South Korean Embassy in France said Thursday.

The regional rescue squad found the body of the 34-year-old, only identified by his last name Lee, in the alpine zone of Mont Blanc, some 4,300 meters above sea level, at around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday (France time), according to the embassy. 

Lee was climbing the highest mountain in the Alps, with his 44-year-old acquaintance, also surnamed Lee, on Sunday. They sent a distress call to the nearby rescue team after they were stranded due to bad weather.

The rescue team couldn't immediately dispatch a helicopter to the site because of strong wind blowing some 130 kph, according to the officials. They were only able to save the 44-year-old Lee on Monday.

The climbers had apparently separated from each other to secure a safe place and make contact with the rescue squad.

The Korean Embassy said it has contacted his family, and is negotiating with French officials about the body transfer.

The 34-year-old Lee who resided in Hamburg, Germany, and the rescued Lee, a resident of Russia's Saint Petersburg, reportedly attended the same university. (Yonhap)