Sri Lanka, South Korea hold talks to boost trade, tourism and jobs

South Korean Parliamentary delegation meets Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath in Colombo to expand cooperation in tourism, trade, employment and development support.

A visiting Parliamentary delegation from the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, led by Deputy Speaker Hon. Lee Hack Young, paid a courtesy call on Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath on February 03, 2026.

During the meeting, Minister Herath thanked the Government of the Republic of Korea for its continued support to Sri Lanka’s development projects through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Korea Exim Bank. He also expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by South Korea following the adverse weather conditions caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

The Minister pointed out the recent increase in South Korean tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka and discussed ways to further strengthen tourism cooperation between the two countries. He also emphasized the importance of people to people relations and reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening these ties.

Minister Herath expressed interest in improving cooperation between the Parliaments of both countries and requested increased employment opportunities for Sri Lankan workers in the Republic of Korea.

Deputy Speaker Lee Hack Young stated that the South Korean Government is interested in continuing to support Sri Lanka’s development priorities. He also expressed willingness to expand trade and economic cooperation and pledged to ensure the protection and well being of Sri Lankan workers in South Korea.

Both sides recalled the strong and friendly bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea, which spans nearly half a century, and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra, South Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka Miyon Lee, and senior officials from the Ministry and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Colombo were also present at the meeting.