The Republic of Korea will continue to accept Cambodian workers, Korean ambassador Park Heung-kyeong said on November 26 in a meeting with Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Ith Sam Heng.

There are nearly 50,000 Cambodian currently working in various fields in Korea, the most of any country, according to the ambassador.

“The reason why Korea allows Cambodian workers is because employers are satisfied with them. They are honest with their work and strictly follow instructions,” Park said.

Sam Heng said Cambodia should be a priority country because the Covid-19 situation in Cambodia is under control and there are many flights between the countries.

Cambodia has sent 68,294 workers to Korea since 2007 to work in the industrial, agricultural and construction sectors under four-year contracts.

The two countries are also in the process of negotiating a free trade agreement that is expected to boost trade and investment, according to Sam Heng.

“Korea is helping Cambodia prepare the drafting of an occupational safety and health law in Cambodia,” he said as an example of cooperation.

Sam Heng continued that Korea planned to establish a training institution on occupational safety and health in Cambodia.

According to the minister, cooperation between Cambodia and the Republic of Korea led to more than $1.5 billion in trade in 2019. At present, Korean investment in Cambodia has totalled more than $5 billion, making Korea the second-largest investor in Cambodia.