By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

President Yoon Suk-yeol met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on May 16 to strengthen the level of cooperation between the two countries, including establishing a strategic partnership.

President Yoon held a summit with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who is on an official visit to South Korea, at the Yongsan Presidential Office earlier in the day.

“It is very meaningful that we have established a strategic partnership between our two countries,” Yoon said in his remarks at the meeting, adding, “We look forward to expanding trade and investment cooperation with Cambodia and strengthening cooperation in future-oriented fields such as the digital environment.”

“Since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations in 1997, our bilateral ties have grown by leaps and bounds, with trade increasing 20-fold, people-to-people exchanges increasing 150-fold, and Korea becoming Cambodia's second-largest investor,” Yoon said.

“Cambodia's economic growth and development are inseparable from Korea's contributions,” said Prime Minister Hun Manet, who also spoke, noting that Korea has contributed a lot to Cambodia's development in various fields, including the economy, infrastructure, health, and education.

“Cambodia values its strong relationship with the Republic of Korea and is eager to deepen our bilateral and multilateral ties,” he said, adding, “This visit will be an opportunity to elevate our dynamic bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership.”

Prime Minister Hun Manet also mentioned exchanges between the two countries on a humanitarian level, citing Mrs. Kim Keon-hee as an important example, “especially the First Lady's support for the surgery of a Cambodian child with heart disease.”

During her visit to Cambodia in November 2022, Kim met Mr. Ork Rotha, who also suffered from heart disease. After meeting with Kim, Ork Rotha underwent surgery in South Korea and returned to Cambodia in good health.

The meeting between the two leaders comes eight months after they held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, last August.

On the occasion of the summit, the two leaders adopted a joint statement on establishing a strategic partnership and agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as politics, defense and security, economy and finance, social, cultural and environmental affairs, and development cooperation.

President Yoon and Prime Minister Hun Manet held an intergovernmental document signing ceremony after the meeting.

The two countries signed six documents, including the Protocol to Amend the Framework Agreement on EDCF Loans, an MOU on Investment Cooperation, an MOU on Deepening Cooperation in the Intellectual Property Field, a Letter of Intent to Enhance Cooperation in Countering Narcotics, an MOU on Industrial Talent Training Program, and an Agreement on the Fourth EDCF Loan for Local Road Improvement Project.

Prior to the summit, Prime Minister Hun Manet signed the guest book, and took a commemorative photo with president Yoon. President Yoon wore a dark navy blue suit with a red tie, while Prime Minister Hun Manet wore a black suit with a dark purple tie.

On the South Korean side, Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, Cho Tae-yul, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahn Deok-geun, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Jang Ho-jin, National Security Advisor, were present, and on the Cambodian side, Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Deputy Chairman of the Development Committee, Sok Chenda Sophea,  Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The two leaders held an official luncheon at the end of the summit. The luncheon was also attended by First Lady Kim Keon-hee.