AKP Phnom Penh, October 23, 2026 —

The Ministry of Civil Service and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Cambodia Office and have jointly organised a knowledge-sharing seminar and workshop on public administration and human resource management to review the current state of Cambodia’s civil service and identify priorities for reform.

Held at Sofitel Phnom Penh, the event brought together approximately 50 directors and human resource officials from relevant ministries, Korean experts and project stakeholders to discuss civil service human resource management and training and provide practical input for future reforms.

The opening ceremony was attended by H.E. Ty Janith, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Civil Service and Ms. Lee Sejin, Deputy Country Director of KOICA Cambodia Office, highlighting the close cooperation between Cambodia and the Republic of Korea in strengthening the country’s civil service.

In her welcoming remarks, Ms. Lee described the event as an important milestone in the implementation of the Project on Strengthening Capacity of the Royal School of Administration for Governance Reform and Strengthening of Cambodia. The five-year project, running from 2025 to 2029, has a total budget of US$11.7 million.

She emphasised that a professional and capable civil service is essential to improving public services and advancing Cambodia’s Pentagonal Strategy and Vision 2050. Investment in civil servants’ recruitment, training and professional development would help build stronger public institutions capable of better serving the Cambodian people, she said.

Ms. Lee also stressed that effective reform cannot be designed by experts alone, but must draw on the practical experience, insights and active participation of those responsible for implementing policies and delivering public services. She identified Cambodian ownership, active participation and sustainability as three key principles for the project’s success.

The seminar presented, for the first time to human resource officials from government ministries, findings from a study conducted since the project began in December 2025.

Prof. Lee Choong-yeol introduced the project’s overview and seminar objectives, while Mr. Lim Jun-hyung presented the current status, key challenges and proposed improvements to the Civil Service Human Resource Strategy Master Plan.

Mr. Cho Hyun-gu discussed improvements to recruitment and appointment systems based on international practices. Mr. Choi Hyung-jae addressed civil service training curriculum reform, including competency frameworks and training quality, while Mr. Han Chanwook presented ICT training programmes and plans for an online learning platform.

Following the morning presentations, participants joined a question-and-answer session and completed an event satisfaction survey. In the afternoon, they took part in focus group discussions on the project’s direction and key areas for improvement, sharing views on challenges in civil service human resource management and training.

Their feedback will help shape the human resource strategy and subsequent consulting activities under the project. The same programme is scheduled to take place in Siem Reap on October 26 to gather input from provincial officials.

The initiative builds on the longstanding development partnership between Cambodia and the Republic of Korea. Since development cooperation began in 1991 and KOICA established its Cambodia Office in 2003, the agency has worked with the Royal Government of Cambodia in areas including education, health and rural development, with human resource development forming an important part of that cooperation.

Through the project, KOICA aims to provide technical expertise, training opportunities in Korea, and the infrastructure and systems needed to strengthen the Royal School of Administration’s capacity to train and develop a modern, professional civil service.

The seminar and workshop reaffirmed the shared commitment of Cambodia and the Republic of Korea to building a more capable, professional and responsive civil service. Ms. Lee underscored that the project should be guided by Cambodia’s own priorities, shaped by constructive input from relevant stakeholders and designed to deliver lasting benefits beyond its implementation period.

AKP-KOICA