Cambodia–North Korea relations explained

Cambodia–North Korea relations (Central Khmer: ទំនាក់ទំនងកម្ពុជា–កូរ៉េខាងជើង; Korean: 캄보쟈–조선민주주의인민공화국 관계) refers to the bilateral relationship between Cambodia and the DPRK. The DPRK has an embassy in Phnom Penh; Cambodia has an embassy in Pyongyang. The North Korean embassy is located on Sihanouk Boulevard, Phnom Penh, directly adjacent to the Prime Minister's (Hun Sen) residence.

History

The relationship started in 1965 when Cambodia's Norodom Sihanouk met Kim Il Sung in Jakarta, Indonesia. After Sihanouk was toppled in 1970, the DPRK continued to support his government in exile. In 1974, the DPRK built a palace for Sihanouk near Pyongyang called Changsuwon Palace. When the Khmer Rouge was removed by a Vietnamese invasion in 1979, the DPRK supported Sihanouk in a new exile government as well as the Khmer Rouge against Vietnam. He regularly resided in the DPRK until 1991 when he became King of Cambodia. When he returned to Cambodia as King, he took a bodyguard of DPRK individuals.^{[1] [2]}

Cambodia has been suggested as an intermediary between the DPRK and South Korea. A DPRK trade delegation visited Cambodia in 2011.

Trade

Cambodia and the DPRK have a small relationship in relation to trade. One major investment by the DPRK in Cambodia is the construction and management of the Angkor Paranoma Museum in Siem Reap, which celebrates the ancient Angkor empire, with the DPRK receiving profits from the museum for the first decade and the second decade, profits would be split between Cambodia and North Korea.^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

The DPRK also has patriotic restaurants within the country, performances, and a strong diplomatic presence in the country.^{[8] [9] [10] [11] [12]}

Further reading

• "North Korea's New Friend". The Diplomat, 26 December 2012.
• "What’s Next in Cambodia-North Korea Relations?" The Diplomat, 17 March 2017.
• "Pyongyang, North Korea". Hidden History. 17 March 2017.

Notes and References

1. North Korea's New Friend?. Sebastian. Strangio. The Diplomat. 14 August 2011.
2. North Korea-Cambodia Relations: The Sound of Silence. Lake. Hunt. The Diplomat. 21 March 2017.
3. Jack Board, "The curious case of North Korea in Cambodia", Channel News Asia, 23 April 2017.
4. Sebastian Strangio, "N Korea's multimillion-dollar museum in Cambodia", Al Jazeera, February 2016.
5. Portia Chey, "A tour of North Korea's multimillion dollar museum – in Cambodia", The Guardian, 1 February 2016.
6. Jerome Taylor, "Cambodia a canvas for North Korea's grand masters", AFP, 18 March 2016.
7. Since Cambodia would receive complete ownership and profits after the first two decades, accusations by mainstream media on this subject are suspect.
8. Japan Times, "Mysterious North Korean museum opens in Cambodia", 18 January 2016.
9. Thomas Fuller, "Where Koreans Go to Reunify (Hint: It's Not the Koreas)", The New York Times, 19 January 2012.
10. Amy Quin, "An Art Powerhouse From North Korea", The New York Times, 25 January 2016.
11. Ed Butler, "The mystery of North Korea's virtuoso waitresses", BBC News, 9 June 2014.
12. Daniel Otis, "Dining With Dear Leader", Slate, 22 November 2013.