Minister Ghising, Korean Ambassador hold talks on energy, infrastructure and employment cooperation

KATHMANDU: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development Kulman Ghising held a courtesy meeting with the Ambassador of South Korea to Nepal, Park Taeyoung, at the ministry’s office in Singha Durbar on Sunday.

During the meeting, Ambassador Park extended his congratulations and best wishes to Minister Ghising for a successful tenure, highlighting the long-standing economic cooperation between Nepal and South Korea.

Minister Ghising expressed Nepal’s appreciation for South Korea’s sustained support in the energy and infrastructure sectors and emphasized the need for expanding the collaboration towards large-scale reservoir-based hydropower projects exceeding 500 MW capacity. He proposed that such projects could be developed through government-to-government partnerships or direct investment by Korean private companies, noting South Korea’s technological success in renewable energy and Nepal’s abundant hydropower potential.

The minister further invited South Korea to partner with Nepal in developing green hydrogen projects as model initiatives — integrating hydrogen-based fertilizer production and public transportation systems. He remarked that green hydrogen could serve as a new frontier of bilateral cooperation, aligning with both countries’ carbon neutrality and sustainable development goals.

Emphasis on Employment, Skills, and Connectivity

Minister Ghising also urged the Korean side to increase the employment quota for Nepali workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS). He called for enhanced collaboration on pre-departure skill development training, as well as programs to help returnee workers utilize their acquired skills in Nepal by fostering entrepreneurship and local job creation.

Highlighting key infrastructure priorities, Ghising requested early finalization of assistance from the Korean Exim Bank for the Inaruwa–Anarmani 400 kV Transmission Line Project, which links the Arun River Corridor with the East–West Transmission Backbone. He also sought Korean cooperation in railway construction, operation, and maintenance capacity development to strengthen Nepal’s connectivity and logistics infrastructure.

Progress on Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project

Ambassador Park briefed the minister on the progress of the 216 MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, which is being constructed in Rasuwa with major investment from a Korean government company.

He informed that the project has achieved around 70 percent completion, and the main tunnel breakthrough is scheduled for December 2025. The ambassador invited Minister Ghising to attend the milestone event and expressed gratitude to the Government of Nepal and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for their continued cooperation.

Ambassador Park further stated that South Korea remains committed to supporting Nepal’s energy transition and infrastructure modernization. He shared that the Korean Embassy is coordinating with the Ministry of Finance to facilitate financial and technical assistance for new transmission line projects and is preparing to host a seminar in collaboration with Nepal’s private energy producers to attract more Korean investors to Nepal’s hydropower sector.

Minister Ghising reaffirmed that Nepal views South Korea as a strategic partner in clean energy development, particularly in the areas of hydropower, green hydrogen, and sustainable urban mobility. He stressed that future cooperation should also focus on knowledge transfer, innovation, and renewable energy investment frameworks to strengthen Nepal’s position as a regional clean energy hub.