Korean Adviser To Assist Gov?t In Cambodia

The South Korean government will appoint an adviser to assist the Cambodian government on economic matters for the next three years as part of its international Knowledge Sharing Program, an official at the Korean Embassy said yesterday.

The Korea Times reported on Sunday that the South Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance will send three ?veteran economic policymakers? to three emerging Asian nations?Cambodia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan?for the next three years,. The budget for the program involving the three countries for the 2010 calendar will be $65 million, the newspaper reported.

Jin Sun-hye, second secretary at the Korean Embassy in Phnom Penh, confirmed Cambodia will take part in KSP from 2010to2012.

?The Embassy found that the Korean Government has confirmed so far Cambodia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan are newly appointed as Strategic Development Countries for 2010 to 2012 KSP,? Mr Jin wrote in an email. Mr Jin, however, said that a candidate has yet to be selected.

?It is not true that the Korean Government [has already] appointed a project manager to work as an adviser to the Cambodian Govern?ment as a part of KSP,? he wrote.

The program, which started in 2004, is designed to ?assist in enhancing national development capacity and the institutional restructuring efforts of ..partnership countries by sharing Korea?s development experience,? according to the KSP website.

The website states the program?s three main goals are to: build and enhance the policy management and formulation capabilities of government officials, seek relevant solutions for current policy issues based on economic analysis and nurture mutually beneficial relationships through tangible and functional approaches.

Ministry of Finance Secretary-General Hang Chuon Naron and Secretary of State Ouk Rabun were unavailable yesterday.

The chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia, Kang Namshik, said he was unaware of the development.

Sourced = The Cambodia Daily