Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, Arun Hemachandra, concluded the official visit to the Republic of Korea from 21 to 27 February 2026, engaging in a series of high-level meetings aimed at further strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation in the field of foreign employment.
On 25 February 2026, Deputy Minister Hemachandra held a bilateral meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Eui-hae Cecilia Chung at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul. Discussions covered a wide range of areas, including economic cooperation, foreign employment, development assistance, defence cooperation and people-to-people ties. The two sides also reviewed Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic recovery efforts, particularly the progress achieved in debt restructuring. In view of the forthcoming 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea next year, both sides agreed to commemorate this significant milestone in a meaningful manner, including through high-level exchanges and strengthened institutional cooperation.
On 24 February 2026, the Deputy Minister met with Vice President for Foreign Labour and Global Employment of the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRDK), Lim Seung Mook. Discussions focused on strengthening Sri Lanka’s participation in the Employment Permit System (EPS) and expanding cooperation beyond the existing framework. Key issues addressed included quota allocations and waiting list concerns, enhancing transparency and procedural efficiency, strengthening Korean language proficiency and workplace discipline, upgrading pre-departure orientation and technical training, and exploring deeper institutional partnerships for sector-specific skills development. The Deputy Minister assured the Korean side that Sri Lanka remains firmly committed to protecting its workers, improving standards, and building a workforce that meets global expectations with professionalism and credibility.
On the same day, the Deputy Minister held a comprehensive discussion with Executive Vice President of the Korea Federation of SMEs (KBIZ), Oh Gi-woong on structured training cooperation between Sri Lanka and Korean small and medium-sized enterprises.
Also, Employment promotion events were conducted in Busan, Dague, and Ansan cities where the delegation engaged with Korean employers and HR leaders to promote stronger foreign employment cooperation.
The Deputy Minister also visited HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, the world’s largest single shipbuilding complex. The visit provided valuable insight into the scale, coordination, and technical precision required to sustain such an advanced industrial ecosystem. During the visit, Senior Vice President of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Kim Seong Hoon met with the Deputy Minister to discuss strengthening technical training pathways and exploring structured cooperation to create high-value skilled employment opportunities for Sri Lankans.
The Deputy Minister also met with the Chairman of the Seoul International Travel Fair, Shin Jung Mok, and discussed emerging global travel trends and Sri Lanka’s strong potential in the areas of slow travel, digital nomadism, and long-stay workstation tourism.
In addition, the Deputy Minister participated in several community engagement events, which provided valuable grassroots-level insights into the practical challenges faced by Sri Lankan workers on the ground. A mobile consular service was also held in Changwon on 22 February, organized by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in parallel with the visit of the Deputy Minister. Based on the interactions with community engagements during the visit, the Deputy Minister announced that action will be taken to expand the Mobile Consular Services by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the future.
The Deputy Minister also paid courtesy calls on Most Venerable Chief Incumbent of the Korea–Sri Lanka Mahaviharaya in Asan, Dr. Thalgamuwe Dhammakitti Thero, Chief Incumbent of Sri Lankaramaya in Daegu, Most Venerable Katuwana Vijithawansa Thero, as well as Most Venerable Wongam Haegong of the Hogukchunghyosa, Korean Buddhist Temple, which plays a key role in strengthening Sri Lanka–Korea Buddhist relations and supporting the Sri Lankan community.
The delegation included the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), Koshala Wickramasinghe, along with senior SLBFE officials: Deputy General Manager (Recruitment & Planning) H. W. Samantha; Manager (Recruitment–Korea) P. A. G. Wijesundara; Administrative Officer (Recruitment–Korea) D. C. R. Weerakoon and Private Secretary to the Deputy Minister, Chathura Buddhika. The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency (SLFEA) was also part of the delegation.
The Deputy Minister was accompanied by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Korea, M. K. Pathmanaathan, together with senior officials of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Seoul.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Seoul
03 March 2026
