Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SEOUL1050
2006-03-30 07:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Seoul
Cable title:
CAMBODIAN PM HUN SEN'S VISIT TO ROK FOCUSES ON
how-toVZCZCXYZ0004 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHUL #1050 0890750 ZNY CCCCC ZZH (CCY ADXAF9D12 WSE6995 - 648) R 300750Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7002 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0404 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 7224 RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 0245 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0488 RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR 1149 RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J2 SEOUL KOR RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA SCJS SEOUL KOR
C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001050
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA MARKING CORR'D
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2015
TAGS: PREL ELAB EAID KS
SUBJECT: CAMBODIAN PM HUN SEN'S VISIT TO ROK FOCUSES ON
SENDING GUEST WORKERS TO SOUTH KOREA
C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001050
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA MARKING CORR'D
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2015
TAGS: PREL ELAB EAID KS
SUBJECT: CAMBODIAN PM HUN SEN'S VISIT TO ROK FOCUSES ON
SENDING GUEST WORKERS TO SOUTH KOREA
1. (C) SUMMARY: The March 20-24 visit to South Korea of
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen focused almost exclusively
on the Cambodians' interest in obtaining ROK designation of
Cambodia as a country "qualified to export labor to South
Korea." Accompanied by eight ministers, Hun Sen also secured
a USD 27 million loan from South Korea for the joint
development of water treatment and tidal power generating
facilities, and visited markets and factories. President Roh
plans to visit Cambodia in November 2006. End Summary
2. (C) On March 30, poloff met with Koh Jae-Myong, Deputy
Director of the Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau, Southeast
Asia Division, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(MOFAT) for a readout of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's
March 20-24 visit to South Korea. The Prime Minister was
accompanied by the Commercial, Labor, Finance,
Transportation, Agriculture, Environment, Water Resource, and
Foreign Ministers, as well as approximately 30 Cambodian
businessmen. According to Koh, the Cambodians' main
objective was obtaining a "gentleman's agreement" to work
toward signing a Memorandum of Understanding during President
Roh's planned trip to Cambodia in November 2006 that would
designate Cambodia as a country "qualified to export labor to
South Korea".
3. (C) Koh explained that to date a private Cambodian
company has acted as a broker for Cambodian laborers seeking
employment in South Korea. As a result, an opaque, corrupt
system has evolved in which a large number applications for
work permits in South Korea have come from unqualified
Cambodian laborers with no Korean-language skills. During
the trip, the Cambodian delegation reached a "gentleman's
agreement" with Seoul that once Cambodia establishes an
office within the Ministry of Labor for a central,
transparent, and efficient work permit application process,
the ROK will designate Cambodia as a country "qualified to
export labor to South Korea". Koh stated that he fully
expected the new work permit application process to be in
place by November 2006 so that both governments can showcase
their achievements by signing a Memorandum of Understanding
during a planned visit by President Roh to Cambodia in
November 2006.
4. (C) Through visits to CJ Sugar Factory in Incheon,
Kyungan Cable Company in Hwasong, and Garak Fish Market in
southern Seoul, Cambodian government officials and
entrepreneurs sought to gain practical knowledge about South
Korea's factory management practices and standards, as well
as mass production systems and distribution networks, which
they can implement in their own domestic industries, said
Koh. During this second official visit to South Korea, the
Prime Minister also received an honorary doctorate in
Political Science conferred by Soonchunhyang University in
recognition of his crucial role in reestablishing diplomatic
relations between Cambodia and South Korea in 1997.
YUN
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA MARKING CORR'D
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2015
TAGS: PREL ELAB EAID KS
SUBJECT: CAMBODIAN PM HUN SEN'S VISIT TO ROK FOCUSES ON
SENDING GUEST WORKERS TO SOUTH KOREA
1. (C) SUMMARY: The March 20-24 visit to South Korea of
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen focused almost exclusively
on the Cambodians' interest in obtaining ROK designation of
Cambodia as a country "qualified to export labor to South
Korea." Accompanied by eight ministers, Hun Sen also secured
a USD 27 million loan from South Korea for the joint
development of water treatment and tidal power generating
facilities, and visited markets and factories. President Roh
plans to visit Cambodia in November 2006. End Summary
2. (C) On March 30, poloff met with Koh Jae-Myong, Deputy
Director of the Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau, Southeast
Asia Division, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(MOFAT) for a readout of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's
March 20-24 visit to South Korea. The Prime Minister was
accompanied by the Commercial, Labor, Finance,
Transportation, Agriculture, Environment, Water Resource, and
Foreign Ministers, as well as approximately 30 Cambodian
businessmen. According to Koh, the Cambodians' main
objective was obtaining a "gentleman's agreement" to work
toward signing a Memorandum of Understanding during President
Roh's planned trip to Cambodia in November 2006 that would
designate Cambodia as a country "qualified to export labor to
South Korea".
3. (C) Koh explained that to date a private Cambodian
company has acted as a broker for Cambodian laborers seeking
employment in South Korea. As a result, an opaque, corrupt
system has evolved in which a large number applications for
work permits in South Korea have come from unqualified
Cambodian laborers with no Korean-language skills. During
the trip, the Cambodian delegation reached a "gentleman's
agreement" with Seoul that once Cambodia establishes an
office within the Ministry of Labor for a central,
transparent, and efficient work permit application process,
the ROK will designate Cambodia as a country "qualified to
export labor to South Korea". Koh stated that he fully
expected the new work permit application process to be in
place by November 2006 so that both governments can showcase
their achievements by signing a Memorandum of Understanding
during a planned visit by President Roh to Cambodia in
November 2006.
4. (C) Through visits to CJ Sugar Factory in Incheon,
Kyungan Cable Company in Hwasong, and Garak Fish Market in
southern Seoul, Cambodian government officials and
entrepreneurs sought to gain practical knowledge about South
Korea's factory management practices and standards, as well
as mass production systems and distribution networks, which
they can implement in their own domestic industries, said
Koh. During this second official visit to South Korea, the
Prime Minister also received an honorary doctorate in
Political Science conferred by Soonchunhyang University in
recognition of his crucial role in reestablishing diplomatic
relations between Cambodia and South Korea in 1997.
YUN