South Korea provides US$ 9.2 Million for Angkor Ring Road

South Korea provides US$ 9.2 Million for Angkor Ring Road

KOICA News Release: translate from local newspaper

DAP News:

Year 04 Volume 424, Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Siem Reap: South Korea provides US$ 9.2 million through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) last week in Siem Reap.

Mr. Hort Sroeu, KOICA Program Officer told DAP that South Korea provided US$ 9.2 million to APSARA Authority, this was the 3^rd donation. He continued that the objectives were: 1^stcontribute to easing the heavy traffic load inside Angkor historic site, 2^ndimprove human and institutional capacities of Cambodia for the effective construction and management of the road by transferring Korea’s experience and know-how to Cambodian counterpart, 3^rd provide beneficiary directly to people in local community, tourists and general public, 4^th provide beneficiary indirectly to socio-economic organizations, environmentalists, public service providers, and cultural heritage conversation authority.

Mr. Bun Narith, General Director of APSARA Authority said that “the new road with the total length of 21 kilometers by asphalt will disperse heavy traffic load of the road trough Angkor sites, environmental protection and provide comfortable riding quality for the passengers”. This project will start this year and it will be finished in the next 3 years.

Mr. Son Sung-il, officer of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea informed that “This is the 2^nd road in Angkor sites that was constructed under the grant aid of South Korea. The newly constructed road will link the existing road at the northern and north-west of temple, and the first road will link at the southern of temple”

Be reminded that foreign tourists visited Cambodia about 15 million persons each year, mostly from South Korea, Japan and United State of America. More than half of those tourists came to visit Angkor in Siem Reap.