Oleg Amitov believes his former wife is hanging on to life, despite searchers holding out little hope of rescuing the 36-year-old photographer and website designer.
Mr Amitov last spoke to their daughter, Liann, before he flew from Auckland to be close to the rescue operation, on Sunday.
"She knows her mother is missing. I have promised her that I will be coming home with her mum," he told the Otago Daily Times, yesterday.
The pair share custody of Liann, who is being looked after by friends at Ms Yun's Laingholm Beach house in Auckland, Mr Amitov said.
Mr Amitov, a registered practitioner of Chinese medicine, said he had been channelling his former wife's chi-gong (life force) with assistance from other Auckland-based practitioners.
Ms Yun had the spirit of a survivor, he said.
"We want to focus on finding and keeping her alive,"
Ms Yun's dan tien, or life structure, was still capable of channelling chi-gong and he was doing all he could to concentrate on her wellbeing.
Mr Amitov said he could "sense" his ex-wife was still alive, but was weak and possibly in a coma.
He believed he could "feel" that she was underneath "something large - possibly a rock" and was above a steep drop, where water flowed below.
"It probably wouldn't make sense to most people," he said.
Mr Amitov was born in Moscow, Russia, while Ms Yun, of Korean descent, was raised in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.
The couple met in Russia and married after they emigrated separately and met again in Auckland.
Mr Amitov flew into the West Matukituki Valley on Monday accompanied by mutual friend Callum Wallach to try and conduct a private search.
He had sensed Ms Yun's location, minutes before being radioed and told her pack had been found in the Dart River on Monday, he said.
Searchers have said that the chances of finding Ms Yun alive were "relatively slim."
Her pack was found in the swollen Dart River, about 300m downstream from the Dart hut, which was Ms Yun's destination when she left the Aspiring hut in the West Matukituki Valley on New Year's Eve.
Adverse weather conditions have continued during the past week, with snow, sleet, heavy rain and high winds lashing the mountains.
Wanaka Land Search and Rescue alpine team leader Gary Dickson said a final search would take place once weather conditions cleared, "probably by Saturday or Sunday".
The final search would focus on the gorge section of the Dart River, near where the pack was found.
"It's a tricky area and we don't want to put the rescuers at undue risk," he said.
The river was flowing fast in the gorge where there were garage-sized boulders under which searchers would look, he said.
The Cascade Saddle track down to the Dart hut runs alongside the Dart River and crosses four "big" side creeks feeding into the main river.
The most probable scenario was that Ms Yun had been swept away while crossing one of these, Mr Dickson said.
"Her decision-making has led to this tragedy," he saidWeather conditions at the time Ms Yun was tramping had swollen back-country creeks and rivers to torrents.
There was a likelihood Ms Yun might be located under a boulder, but he doubted she remained alive, given the length of time and adverse weather during the past week.
"We all like to live and search in hope, where appropriate, but we've done this before plenty of times and need to be realistic," Mr Dickson said.
Mr Amitov said he understood the situation when police and search co-ordinators told him there was little hope of finding Ms Yun alive.
"When they tell me, I am aware, realistically. But, then I remember the amount of work we [Chinese medical practitioners] have done to keep her alive and I can't agree with their way of thinking.
"I promised to bring her back to Liann."
