By Amarendra Yadav

Kathmandu, Jan. 15: Seventy per cent of South Korea returnees are involved in their own business in the country. Remaining 20 per cent have returned to foreign employment and 10 per cent have been living idle.
This was revealed by a survey conducted by Ankur Nepal, an umbrella organisation of the Korea returnees. It had conducted the survey among 955 Korea returnees across the country in association with the Foreign Employment Promotion Board a few years back.
“The trend of Korea returnees engaging with self-employment is slowly increasing. No less than 70 per cent of the Korea returnees are involved in different entrepreneurships like tourism sector, medium-size industry and farming,” said Lal Prasad Bhattarai, chairman of Ankur Nepal.
Bhattarai himself is a Korea returnee. He had lived in Korea for altogether 11 years and is now busy in tourism business in Kathmandu.
Bhattarai further said that the number of migrant workers leaving for Korea is going up and on the other hand, the number of Korea returnees being involved in self-employment is also increasing.
According to Foreign Employment Promotion Board, the total number of Nepali migrant workers who went to Korea at least once reached 55,000. Around 35,000 are currently working in Korea and 20,000 have returned to Nepal after completing their term in Korea.
“We are planning another survey among the Korea returnees in the near future. I am confident, the survey will show a hike in the number of returnees engage in their own businesses,” Bhattarai stated.
Ankur Nepal was established in 2012 in Nepal with a concrete goal of discouraging illegal migrant Nepali workers. During those days, there was a trend among the Nepali migrant workers to continue their stay in Korea even after the expiry of their work permit.
“We have succeeded somehow in lowering the number of illegal Nepali migrant workers in Korea through various activities and motivational programmes that Ankur Nepal has been running,” said Bhattarai.
Ankur Nepal has 25,000 general members, 170 life members and a 15-member working committee. According to him, almost all members of Ankur Nepal are involved in their own entrepreneurship.
“Our organisation has a clear motto that one Korea returnee should provide employment to at least three Nepalis,” he added.
He informed that a group of Korea returnees was launching a massive farming entrepreneur in Okhaldhunga in State 1.
“All the returnees are pushing their business ahead on their own. If the government focuses on us and guarantees safety to our investment, we, Korean returnees can gather hundred millions of investment. Ankur Nepal can do it any time,” he added.
Ankur Nepal is also involved in the welfare of those working in Korea and those aspiring to go to Korea as migrant workers.
On one hand, it operates orientation and motivation classes for the migrant workers and their families. On the other hand, it works for minimising the incidents of depression and suicide in Korea, Bhattarai said.