Senate president Hun Sen (seated, centre-left) presides over the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on the new village movement project of South Korea’s Kyungsangbukdo province and the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) of Cambodia. SHS
Cambodia and South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the South Korean province of Kyungsangbukdo and the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) of Cambodia on the “New Village Movement” project on September 12.
The MoU aims to contribute to the promotion of friendship and joint development between the two countries through the sharing of successful experiences of rural development cooperation and the new Korean Village Movement.
Senate president Hun Sen, who serves as the honorary founder of the ACC, presided over the signing ceremony, held in the province. The former prime minister was in Korea to attend the World Knowledge Forum, held in Seoul.
According to a September 12 social media post by Hun Sen, the purpose of the MoU is to promote the New Village Movement for rural development in Cambodia, with both sides agreeing to actively participate and cooperate to ensure the success of the work.
“The scope of the cooperation between the two sides includes: the implementation of rural development projects, including the establishment and operation of smart farms, mechanical farming and agricultural support systems,” it said.
The project also focuses on promoting public health projects including mobile public medical services, volunteer medical work and the operation of local clinics and hospitals.
Additionally, it will include the operation of an appropriate vocational training school and the expansion of human resource exchanges between universities, supporting Master’s degree scholarships, establishing and operating a New Village Movement Centre and training key staff through cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital, as well as cultural exchanges, the post added.
Ek Bunly, a researcher at the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies (CCRS), explained that the Korea’s “New Village Movement” or Saemaul Undong, is a community development movement that Cambodia, and also other developing countries, should not overlook.
“South Korea is a good partner and teacher to cooperate with, in terms of rural development, with its strong and resilient history of rural development back in the 1970s.
“During that time, the South Koreans underwent community development at a personal level, utilising their own capabilities and resources for the sake of a better community, without depending on the calls and support of the government,” he told The Post on September 13.
Bunly explained that the movement helped move South Korea’s GDP per capita from just $100 in 1965 to over $2,000 by the end of the 1970s, saying “Hence, Cambodia can learn a lot from the concept of this movement alone.”
He noted that despite Cambodia’s attempt to move from an agricultural-based society to a more industrial-based society in recent decades, agriculture has always been an important social aspect of Cambodia’s development.
Bunly explained that the signing of the MoU would not only bind the developmental cooperation between Cambodia and South Korea but, in a way, will also create cultural and historical synergy.
“I believe this is a step forward in the cooperation between the two nations and paves the way for their future ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ plan,” he said.
