By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

The Embassy of Nepal in Seoul organized the 'Investment Seminar on Nepal's Energy and Climate Sector' at KOTRA Invest Korea Plaza in Seoul on Aug. 23 to share information on investment opportunities in Nepal with Korean companies.

The seminar was hosted by the Embassy of Nepal in Korea and organized in cooperation with KOTRA and Korea University.

Participants included Kim Tae-hyung, CEO of Invest KOREA, Pushpa Raj Bhattarai, Minister Counsellor/Deputy Chief of Mission of Nepal to Korea, and Yoon Jong-sun, Chairman of Monalisa SM. 

The seminar was chaired by Prof. Kang Seok-jin of Korea University and it was progressed with opening remarks, welcome remarks, congratulatory remarks, and topic presentations. 

The first presentation was on “Foreign Direct Investment in the Energy Sector in Nepal,” the second presentation was on “Investment Opportunities in the Energy Sector in Nepal,” and the third presentation was on “Sharing Investment Experience in the Hydropower Sector in Nepal.”

Park Hye-soo, CMO of Monalisa SM, who attended the seminar, said, “I used to think of Nepal only as a mountain tourism destination in the Himalayas and Annapurna, but through today's seminar, I expect that K-culture tourism, such as wet tissues for mountain and tissues, will open the way for domestic SMEs to export to Nepal based on K-culture tourism, including temple stays in connection with Daegu Donghwa Temple, and meditative Buddhist cultural exchange.”

Kim Yong-soo, an advisory professor at the K Culture Global Research Institute at Busan University of Foreign Studies, said, “The global brand status of Korea has been greatly enhanced by the westernization of K-culture.” 

He emphasized, “In line with these changes in the domestic and international environment, we should expand EDCF and ODA projects in connection with CSR and ESG management activities of companies such as local governments, universities, venture companies, and NGOs based on human resource exchanges in various industries such as energy, environment, ICT, and smart agriculture.”

In conclusion, Pushpa Raj Bhattarai, Minister Counsellor/Deputy Chief of Mission of Nepal, said, “Nepalese people are interested in Korea's remarkable development in the fields of energy, environment, ICT, agriculture, and education, as well as K-culture.” 

“By learning Korean companies' policies and technological know-how, we hope to create jobs in Nepal through investment in domestic economic infrastructure such as the energy industry and cultural tourism industry, and that this seminar will strengthen the capacity of the Nepalese government and revitalize international exchange and cooperation with the Korean government, local governments, and private companies.”