Chring Botum Rangsay, the ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to South Korea, has been awarded the prestigious Korean Consumer Brand Award for the second successive year. The award, conferred by the Korea Consumer Global Council (KCGC), honours her remarkable contributions to fostering friendship and cooperation between Cambodia and Korea.

Despite her humble demeanour, the accolade is seen as a motivator to foster collaboration, which ultimately brings benefits to both nations’ citizens. Botum Rangsay shared, “My colleagues and I diligently work to serve our nation and our people, with our goals at the forefront. We do not do this for the sake of rewards.”

Receiving the award has not only instilled a sense of pride in Botum Rangsay but has also inspired her to redouble her efforts. She acknowledged the joint efforts of embassy officials, the Cambodian people, and other stakeholders, expressing her gratitude to them during the award ceremony held on May 30th.

The Korean Consumer Brand Awards, organised by the KCGC, celebrate consumer service companies and foreign ambassadors demonstrating commendable cooperation efforts which benefit Korean consumers. The ‘2023 Korea Consumer Brand Awards’ held at the Korea Press Foundation’s International Conference Hall, awarded three ambassadors to Korea and 43 companies.

Botum Rangsay underscored the importance of her role in promoting the Cambodian export and import sector, covering both products and services. Ensuring all efforts serve the interests of consumers is crucial to her and the embassy’s mission.

Chring Botum Rangsay.

Appreciating the Korean Government’s Support

She also highlighted the consistent support and effective policies of the Korean government in appreciating the diplomatic corps’ efforts to bring high-quality products and services to the Korean market.

She stated, “It is essential that all of these endeavours serve the interests of consumers. We ensure that our exports to Korea support the well-being of Korean consumers.”

Once a year, the Korean government selects a few ambassadors who have worked tirelessly to assist their people in accessing goods and services. Botum Rangsay expressed her appreciation for the individuals who continually offer her their encouragement and support.

During the winter season, Botum Rangsay noticed challenges faced by Koreans and Cambodians in purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables due to their higher costs. Growing these crops requires plastic greenhouses and tents, incurring additional expenses and yielding lesser outcomes.

“People now have to pay more for these fruits and vegetables while receiving a diminished quantity,” Botum Rangsay lamented.

She affirmed that promoting Cambodian agricultural products in Korea ensures affordable and quality winter vegetables for Koreans and other nationalities.

However, she acknowledged that the import of Cambodian products into Korea is still limited due to the stringent evaluation process carried out by Korean officials.

“We have initiated bilateral talks on free trade between Cambodia and Korea,” she said.

Within the framework of joint exports, Cambodia has already exported various fresh agricultural products such as mangoes, banana leaves, and vegetables. Botum Rangsay mentioned that the Royal Government of Cambodia is actively pushing for negotiations with the Korean side to establish a free bilateral trade agreement gradually, prioritising product classification.

Currently, Korea permits 200 types of Cambodian agricultural products to be imported duty-free, provided they meet quality standards, including strict phytosanitary requirements. She highlighted that the stringent import procedures applied to Cambodian goods also extend to all countries exporting fresh products to Korea.

Cambodian Community Thrives in South Korea

In addition to her observations of winter produce challenges, the ambassador also caters to the nearly 50,000 Cambodians living, working, and studying in Korea. She spoke about the embassy officers and the Cambodian community in Korea actively engaging in promoting services and addressing the people’s needs, including housing, food, and well-being.

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training has provided training and information kits to assist Cambodian workers when they require support. However, Botum Rangsay expressed concern that many workers do not pay adequate attention to these kits and encounter difficulties when they need help. She expressed the need to promote awareness about these resources effectively.

The Korean government has documented and publicised in the Korean media the aid activities undertaken by Cambodian embassy officials. These commendable efforts have been recognised by the Korean government, resulting in distinguished acknowledgement for the ambassador.

Cultural Festivities Foster Unity

The embassy organises traditional events at least twice a year, particularly during Pchum Ben and the Khmer New Year. These events serve not only as joyful reunions for the Cambodian community in Korea but also as an opportunity to promote Cambodian arts and culture to their Korean hosts.

“Last year, we organised Pchum Ben events that attracted nearly 10,000 attendees from our community”, Botum Rangsay revealed.

Spread out across 10 venues in Korea, the annual Sangkran festivities aim to showcase that Cambodians, although residing overseas, continue to preserve their rich ancient culture and unity.

“We present our arts, traditions, culture, and cuisine through exhibitions and activities organised by the association in each region,” said Botum Rangsay.

Upon assuming her role as ambassador to Korea, Botum Rangsay had two primary objectives: to promote economic growth and investment in Cambodia, and to provide assistance and support to Cambodian people residing in Korea. However, due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, activities involving direct interactions were limited, forcing the embassy to focus more on diplomatic and economic relations.

For the current year, Botum Rangsay stated that the embassy has established a policy to actively engage with Cambodians living, working, and studying in Korea. This involves personally visiting them in their communities, factories, farms, and even their homes in various provinces if they require assistance.

“I have asked Prime Minister Hun Sen to consider the possibility and understanding to continue assisting our workers who face travel difficulties or lack funds, in order for them to have their passports validated in Korea,” explained Botum Rangsay.

“Prime minister understood and permitted the embassy to extend their passports for one year. Now attaches and consuls from the embassy are travelling to various regions in Korea to extend Cambodian passports without requiring individuals to travel to Seoul,” she said.

Botum Rangsay acknowledged that Cambodian people often experience health issues due to stress and work pressure, as they strive to meet the high production standards of quality and quantity demanded by Korean tradition. With the additional challenges posed by the Covid-19 crisis, including reduced working hours, the embassy endeavours to seek assistance from hospitals providing free medical care to Cambodian workers.

Botum Rangsay shared some statistics on the Cambodian population in Korea, indicating that there are more than 50,000 Cambodians in total. Among them, there are 49,178 workers, around 4,600 married women, and approximately 300 students. Additionally, there are about 10,000 Koreans of Cambodian descent.

She admitted that she initially faced challenges in adapting to Korean culture during the first few months of her tenure as the Cambodian ambassador to Korea. However, she emphasised that such challenges are common in any new cultural environment, and they became less overbearing with time as she began to understand and respect the Korean ways.

“I understand the situation of Cambodians, especially women workers, may in the first three to six months find it difficult to adjust to the fast-paced working environment and societies in Korea,” she says. “Cambodians are accustomed to working at a slower pace but with thoroughness and clarity”.

Regarding her role as a diplomat, Botum Rangsay said that being a woman presented additional challenges during her early career. She emphasised that her dedication, attention to detail, and sense of responsibility played crucial roles in her achievements.

The ambassador’s triumph at the Korean Consumer Brand Awards exemplifies the reward of perseverance, dedication, and vision. Botum Rangsay, through her outstanding contributions and diligent efforts, has reaffirmed the significance of an ambassador’s role in enhancing a nation’s image abroad and fostering relations with other countries.

By achieving this feat for the second consecutive year, she has set an inspiring example for ambassadors worldwide and reiterated the importance of international cooperation and unity.