Manoj Adhikari

While hundreds of Nepali youths leave for employment in Korea due to lack of opportunities at home, a Korean national has been working in a restaurant in Pokhara and spending his hard earned money to educate poor and helpless Nepali children. 

For the last one year, Chung woo Ok, 67, has been working for a Korean restaurant “Pokhara Mini Sokh Chena” at Buddhachowk-10, Pokhara. He says he wants to educate as many Nepali children. Currently, he is providing for the expenses of Kalpana Tamang of Kathmandu, Taramaya Pun of Mygadi and Arpana Sharma of Syanga. 

Chung works in the restaurant as the chef and is able to attract a large number of tourists for his Korean delicacies. Cham and Raju Thapa, the owners of the restaurant, are all praise for the Korean chef´s hard work. “The restaurant itself is designed by Chung,” Cham Bahadaur told Republica. 

Chung is an automobile engineer by profession. Initially, he had arrived as a volunteer automobile engineer at Thapathali Engineering College, Kathmandu. After working as a volunteer for three and a half years, he returned to Korea. However, he was again called by Paschimanchal Engineering College, Pokhara after six months. After working there for two years, he joined the restaurant run by Thapa brothers. 

Chung says he would not leave Pokhara till his last breath though his wife, son and daughter stay in Korea. They insist him to return home but Chung is in love with the beautiful city. According to Chung, his family members are visiting Pokhara this month for the first time to meet him. 

Chung, who has spent his seventeen years of his life in different countries including Nepal, has been staying in Nepal on business visa. The visa requires renewal every year. 

“Nepal is the exceptionally beautiful and this is where I would want to spend the rest of my life.”

Published on: 9 December 2012 | Republica