Kathmandu: The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) hosted “K-Connect: Promoting the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Nepal”, a landmark initiative held in Kathmandu on 6 August 2026. The event aimed to connect entrepreneurs, financial institutions, investors, and development partners across Nepal. H.E. Park Tae-Young, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nepal, attended the event as a chief guest, while Joint Secretary Mr. Hem Raj Tamang from the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment and Joint Secretary Mr. Navaraj Dhakal from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers attended as special guests. Mr. Mooheon Kong, Country Director of KOICA Nepal, welcomed the participants. The event brought together beneficiaries from three KOICA-supported projects, government officials, investors, financial institutions, mentors and development partners.
The main goal of the event was to provide a unique platform to enhance access to knowledge, networks, and financing while fostering innovation, shared learning, sustainable business growth, and job creation.
The three KOICA-supported projects represented at K-Connect have already delivered tangible results across Nepal. Under the Korea Returnee Migrants Reintegration Project, known as K-HaMi Project, more than 15,000 returnee migrant workers have received technical, reintegration, and financial literacy training, with 195 completing dedicated entrepreneurship training. KOICA is providing USD 2.5 Million in interest subsidies to facilitate access to loans for Nepali workers returning from Korea. Approximately 300 Korea Returnee migrant workers are expected to benefit from the program.
The Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) project has established 109 climate-smart agribusinesses in the Terai plains, supported over 5,300 beneficiaries with entrepreneurship grants and training, and created 343 green jobs. Under this project, KOICA has provided USD 1.5 Million for Terai Agribusiness and Enterprise Challenge Fund (TAECF).
In Pokhara, Green Job Creation through Recycling and Upcycling (GCRU) project has developed 115 recycling and upcycling enterprises, trained nearly 11,000 households in waste management, and delivered entrepreneurship training to more than 1,300 people. Together, these achievements form the foundation on which K-Connect is building a unified entrepreneurship ecosystem for Nepal. H.E. Mr. Park Tae-Young, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nepal, congratulated KOICA on hosting the meaningful event. He emphasized that Korea’s sustainable development was driven largely by investments in people, stronger institutions, and opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and private sector growth.
KOICA Country Director Mr. Mooheon Kong reaffirmed KOICA’s longstanding commitment to supporting entrepreneurship development in Nepal. He noted that, over the years, KOICA has supported entrepreneurship, access to finance and skill development through various projects across different sectors and regions. Joint Secretary Mr. Navaraj Dhakal from the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Joint Secretary Mr. Hem Raj Tamang from the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment congratulated KOICA on developing K-Connect initiatives. They emphasized the importance of employment generation, skills development, and enterprises development in Nepal. They also acknowledged the meaningful development cooperation extended by the Government of the Republic of Korea through KOICA.
During the event, KOICA Deputy Country Director Ms. Sujin Yeo stated that K-Connect is about connecting entrepreneurs, financial institutions, investors, mentors, government partners, and development organizations within a growing entrepreneurship ecosystem. The programme featured beneficiary success stories, business pitching session for representatives from banks and the private sector, and one-on-one consultation sessions connecting entrepreneurs with potential investors and business mentors. These sessions enabled participants to receive practical feedback, strengthen their business strategies, and establish networks that may lead to future investment and collaboration.
Since 1991, the Government of the Republic of Korea, through KOICA, has been a key development partner of Nepal, supporting various sectors including health, education, agriculture, vocational training, rural development, IT, and tourism. To date, KOICA has provided USD 235 million in assistance to Nepal. KOICA also collaborates with businesses, CSOs, universities, and development partners to assist Nepal’s effort to achieve the SDGs.
