Kathmandu, February 14: The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) successfully organized the Korea Overseas Volunteer (KOV) Handover Ceremony on February 13 in Lalitpur. The ceremony was attended by representatives from KOICA, KOV recipient organizations, and the four newly arrived KOVs. The KOVs arrived in Nepal on January 13, 2026, and successfully completed a four-week adaptation training program in Lalitpur prior to their deployment.

KOV Sang Ik Jeon is dispatched to the Institute of Engineering, Thapathali Campus, in the automobile sector, while KOV Yeon Il Kim is assigned to Shree Adarsha Secondary School, Ilam, under the Primary Education sector. Similarly, KOV Jaesik Lee is dispatched to the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), Provincial Blood Transfusion Service, Dhangadhi, in the Medical Laboratory Technology sector, and KOV Seungchul Kang is assigned to Godawari Municipality in the Tourism sector.

Similarly, Jeong Dae Kim, a KOICA advisor to Thapathali Campus with regards to the electronics and networking sector has also been dispatched on January 21, 2026 who also came to Nepal together with new KOVs.

The objective of the KOV program is to transfer Korean knowledge and experiences directly at the grassroots level. Through these efforts, the program aims to improve the quality of life of people in partner countries, strengthen friendship and mutual understanding between Korea and its partner countries, and contribute to achieving the development goals set by the international community.

Ms. Sujin Yeo, Deputy Country Director of the KOICA Nepal Office expressed her sincere appreciation to the volunteer recipient organizations for their continued cooperation and support. She emphasized that the ceremony signifies both the start of the volunteers’ service and the crucial role of host organizations in ensuring effective guidance and collaboration. Highlighting KOICA’s belief in strong partnerships, particularly with schools and public institutions, she highlighted the importance of knowledge transfer, institutional strengthening, mutual learning, and cultural exchange as foundations of sustainable development.

She further encouraged recipient organizations to provide clear objectives, defined roles, and a supportive working environment for the new volunteers, expressing confidence that close coordination and mutual respect would maximize the impact of the KOICA Volunteer Program and benefit local communities.

Since 1990, KOICA volunteers have been deployed to various government institutions across Nepal—both within and outside the Kathmandu Valley—upon request from the Government of Nepal. They have contributed to a wide range of sectors, including education, health, agriculture, information technology, and tourism. To date, a total of 499 KOICA Volunteers have been dispatched to Nepal. Currently, 11 KOVs and 2 advisors are serving in government institutions across the districts of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kaski, Baglung, Rupandehi, Kailali, and Ilam. The KOICA Nepal Office has expressed its commitment to taking all necessary measures to follow health and security protocols while implementing the KOV program.

People’s News Monitoring Service.