Phnom Penh: The 2025 Korea-Cambodia Bilateral Meeting has been convened to strengthen the development cooperation between the two countries. The meeting, held at the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC)'s headquarters in Phnom Penh on March 24, was co-chaired by H.E. Chhieng Yanara, Senior Minister in Charge of Special Missions and CDC Second Vice-Chairman, and H.E. Park Jung-Wook, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Cambodia.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, Cambodia is the largest recipient of Korea's Official Development Assistance (ODA) this year, ranked first among the 92 ODA partner countries. This year, the Government of Korea is expected to provide approximately US$315 million in support to Cambodia, focused on sectors such as education, water management, health and sanitation, transportation, and rural development.
The meeting highlighted the elevation of bilateral relations to the level of a Strategic Partnership following Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet's official visit to Korea in May 2024, which resulted in a doubling of South Korea's ODA volume to Cambodia. H.E. Chhieng Yanara expressed appreciation for Korea's contributions to Cambodia's socio-economic development and commended the long-standing cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Cambodia.
For his part, H.E. Park Jung-Wook expressed gratitude for the Cambodian government's efforts to strengthen bilateral relations. The ambassador emphasized the expectation that by updating the Country Partnership Strategy in alignment with the policies of both countries, more effective and sustainable development assistance could be achieved in the future.
The source continued that the assistance will include 27 concessional loan projects, including the Korea-Cambodia Friendship Bridge construction project, and 62 grant aid projects, including the capacity-building project for the National Children's Hospital. Beyond development aid, economic engagement between the two countries remains strong, with approximately 200 Korean companies actively operating in Cambodia across sectors such as manufacturing, finance, construction, and real estate.
The 2025 Korea-Cambodia Bilateral Meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both nations to strengthening their partnership and advancing mutual development goals. Both sides agreed to enhance future cooperation in areas such as human resource development, digital transformation, and sustainable development, solidifying Korea's role as a key development partner for Cambodia.