Attapeu seeks South Korean support for 580-hectare industrial zone
Provincial talks also covered three South Korean private investment projects worth a combined US$411.2 million in power and road construction.
Authorities in Attapeu explored possible South Korean assistance for a proposed industrial zone spanning 580 hectares when they met South Korean Ambassador Lee Jeong-hyop on 11 November. Other priorities raised included processing farm products, energy, mining, tourism and transport services.
The meeting also addressed three private investment projects from South Korea with a combined value of US$411.2 million. Two concern power, while the other involves building a road. Under its build-operate-transfer model, the investor would run the road for a specified period and then hand it over to the Lao government.
Provincial officials identified farming, forestry and processing agricultural goods for export as potential areas for assistance. They also presented plans to turn Road 18B into a cross-border corridor supporting trade with Vietnam and Cambodia, with the aim of increasing investment and related services.
The discussions followed a 2024 memorandum of understanding on a feasibility study covering vegetable farming, silk production and a small processing facility in Attapeu.
Agricultural cooperation also featured at the second K-Green Agro Partnering Forum in Vientiane on 18 June. A pilot project will help Lao producers export chili peppers and cabbage to South Korea through cultivation support, quality management and export verification. Other pilots discussed concerned using artificial intelligence to manage livestock and growing disease-free seedlings.
