KATHMANDU, Aug 23: The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) on Friday marked three decades of its development partnership with Nepal by organizing a special ceremony in Kathmandu titled “30 Years Together: A Journey of Trust and Cooperation.”
The event highlighted KOICA’s long-term commitment to Nepal through the signing of agreements for three major projects, reflecting the agency’s strategic priorities for the coming years. The first project, the establishment of the Gandaki Technical Institute, formalized through a memorandum of understanding between Ghanashyam Upadhyay, Secretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Finance and Park Tae-Young, South Korea’s Ambassador to Nepal, is slated for implementation from 2025 to 2030 with a budget of $9 million.
The second project, the Value Chain Development for Fruits and Vegetables Project (VCDP) Phase II, will be implemented from 2025 to 2031 with a budget of $10 million. The agreement was signed by Dr. Haribahadur K.C., Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and KOICA Nepal Country Director Moo-Han Kong. The third initiative, the establishment of the Sudurpaschim Polytechnic Institute, also with a $10 million budget and scheduled for 2025–2030, was signed by Shivakumar Sapkota, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, alongside KOICA Nepal Country Director Moo-Han Kong.
KOICA Nepal organizes ‘KOICA Nepal Office Photo Exhibition and...
During the program, Moo-Han Kong emphasized the depth and longevity of KOICA’s partnership with Nepal, highlighting the agency’s focus on inclusive and sustainable development. He underscored KOICA’s priorities in promoting innovation and capacity building across sectors including education, health, agriculture and governance.
Bhrigu Dhungana, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, lauded KOICA’s contributions in strengthening Nepal–Korea cooperation in critical areas and acknowledged the agency’s role in supporting Nepal’s sustainable development goals. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to deepening collaboration for Nepal’s continued prosperity.
Ambassador Park Tae-Young reflected on KOICA’s 30-year journey in Nepal as a testament to the enduring friendship and trust between the two countries. He stressed South Korea’s ongoing commitment to supporting Nepal and described the newly signed project agreements as symbols of shared progress.
Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor and chief guest Dhan Raj Acharya congratulated KOICA on this historic milestone, praising its contributions across multiple sectors in Nepal and reaffirming the government’s commitment to expanding future collaborative programs.
Over the past three decades, KOICA has worked alongside the Nepalese government and local communities to foster inclusive and sustainable development. Since 1991, South Korea, through KOICA, has supported Nepal in sectors ranging from health and education to agriculture, technical training, rural development, information technology, and tourism. To date, KOICA has engaged 2,921 volunteers and involved 2,230 Nepali government staff in capacity-building programs, in addition to collaborating with civil society organizations, universities, and international institutions to help Nepal achieve its Sustainable Development Goals.
Since 2010, Nepal has been a priority country for KOICA’s development assistance. By 2025, the total assistance provided to Nepal has exceeded $200 million, with ongoing framework agreements aimed at further strengthening the friendship and cooperation between Nepal and South Korea.
