SEOUL: South Korea has honored a Nepali citizen with the honorary citizenship of Korea.
Nawaraj Shiwakoti of Biratnagar, Morang, received the honorary citizenship of Korea on December 1 amidst a program organized by Seoul Metropolis.
The Metropolis honors foreign nationals with this award every year.
South Korea honored Shiwakoti with this award for his role as a bridge to build cultural and economic relations between Nepal and South Korea.
Mayor of the Metropolis, Oh Se-hoon, presented a letter of felicitation, certificate of honorary citizenship and a silver medal to Shiwakoti.
The Korean government honors foreigners, who contribute to the development of South Korea, with honorary citizenship.
International Relations Division under the Ministry of Planning and Administration of Seoul Metropolitan government calls proposal for honorary citizenship targeting the foreign nationals.
Anyone, who thinks himself/herself capable to get this honor, can file an application and thirty people residing in South Korea, especially in the Seoul Metropolis, should recommend it.
The Metropolis honors one or two persons with an honorary citizenship in a year.
Nepalis getting honorary citizenship
Shiwakoti is among the 10 Nepalis honored with Honorary Korean Citizenship so far. Nearly 900 citizens of more than 100 countries around the world have received honorary citizenship since 1958.
Before him, Nepali citizens KP Sitaula, Tenzi Sherpa, Raju Chhetri, Harka Bahadur Gurung, Junu Gurung, Gambhir Man Shrestha, Bipin Gurung, Sujan Shakya, Bhajindra Chhetri and Bhanu Shrestha have been awarded with the honor.
A permanent resident of the Morang district in Nepal, Shivakoti is a businessman, cultural artist, and volunteer.
He had entered Korea as a worker in 2006. Pursuing Bachelor’s level studies in Economics and Political Science, Shivakoti said he left studies and chose to come to Korea thinking that there is a future in this country.
The Employment Permit System had not been introduced then and he came here through a placement agency called Moondrops Manpower. Nepal and the South Korean governments signed an agreement regarding EPS in 2008.
“I thought of starting a business here in Korea itself with the money that I had earned working at the same company for 11 years. There was lot of business prospect as well,” he said. He started running the Nirosha Restaurant in the capital Seoul at an investment of about Rs 130 million.
His fame gradually started spreading throughout South Korea as the manager of the restaurant serving especially Nepali and Indian dishes.
Shiwakoti served as the advisor of various organizations as NRNA, NCC South Korea chapters, and the Purbanchal Sarokar Samaj South Korea from the beginning. He is still associated with different organizations.
He also started establishing contact with local police and volunteering through various organizations here during his free time.
With this, he also got the opportunity to participate in the Asian Culture and incorporate the Nepali culture as well since 2017. From 2019 to 2021, he also worked as a volunteer in the campaign to prevent drug abuse among children below 18.
Shiwakoti shared that his continued assistance in spreading awareness against COVID-19 and its vaccination has won him this honor.
“This title of Honorary Citizenship is an honor and a matter of happiness for entire Nepal,” Shivakoti commented after receiving the honor.
(Jeevan Khatri/RSS)
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