South Korean business leaders express interest in investing in Sri Lanka

South Korean business leaders have expressed their strong interest in investing in Sri Lanka when they met with visiting Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena in Seoul on Wednesday.

President Sirisena attended a luncheon meeting in downtown Seoul with a group of Korean entrepreneurs who operate businesses in the South Asian country or plan to make forays into the region, Yonhap News Agency said.

During the meeting, the South Korean business leaders sought cooperation in expanding their presence in the South Asian market, especially to expand into the SME sector, according to the Korea Federation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), which organised the meeting.

Korea Federation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Chairman Park Sung-taek said many South Korean businesspeople were interested in Sri Lanka as part of a South Asian trio with high potential of growth, along with Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Park asked President Sirisena to make a business-friendly environment in Sri Lanka so more Korean SMEs could expand into the market.

President Sirisena arrived in Seoul yesterday on a three-day state visit to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.