Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal

Mr. Lee Jeongkyu, former Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Sweden, visited Nepal as the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea from Monday, January 20 to Wednesday, January 22. During his visit, he held meetings with high-ranking Nepali officials, including Hon. Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; Hon. Sharat Singh Bhandari, Minister of Labour, Employment, and Social Security; and Mr. Amrit Bahadur Rai, Foreign Secretary, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Sustained high-level exchanges between the two countries on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations were acknowledged during the meeting, including the foreign ministerial meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last year and the visit of Hon. Damodar Bhandari, Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies of Nepal to Korea last month. They agreed to continue such exchanges in the future.

The two parties also shared a commitment to further enhance cooperation in various areas, including economy, development, employment, and people-to-people exchanges. Notably, they pledged to utilize the Korea-Nepal Trade and Investment Promotion Framework (TIPF), signed in December last year, to expand bilateral trade, diversify industrial cooperation, and support the activities of Korean companies in Nepal. They also agreed to strengthen employment cooperation through the Employment Permit System (EPS), development cooperation through Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects, and people-to-people exchanges.

Additionally, Special Envoy Mr. Lee visited the operational site of a Korean company invested in Nepal (ManduMo factory) and KOICA ODA project site (Korea-Nepal Friendship Municipality Hospital). During these visits, he reviewed the current status of Korean businesses and ODA projects in Nepal, discussed their challenges, and appreciated their contribution.

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Nepal, established in 1974. This visit by the Special Envoy served as an opportunity to reflect on the past 50 years of friendly cooperation and to reaffirm Korea’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Nepal as a key partner country for the next 50 years of mutual growth and collaboration.

<Media Coverage>

- The Rising Nepal: https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/55811

- The Himalayan Times: https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/south-korean-special-envoy-visits-nepal-holds-meetings-with-dpm-paudel-and-others

- Gorkhapatra: https://gorkhapatraonline.com/news/139946