A comparative study on Japan and Republic of Koreas ODA in Cambodia: Focusing on JICA and KOICA from 2007 to 2015

Abstract

Abstract

A comparative study on Japan and Republic of Koreas ODA in Cambodia:

Focusing on JICA and KOICA from 2007 to 2015

SIENG Chansorachana

International Area Studies

Graduate School of International Studies

Seoul National University

In war-torn societies, ODA is necessary significant to build the peace after the humanitarian military intervention. Many donor countries and international organizations try to rebuild the war-torn societies with the contribution of ODA, in particular, foreign aid. As one of those countries, Cambodia had been receiving a large amount of official development assistance since the end of the civil war which ruined the country during the Khmer Rough period (1975-1979). During that period more than two million Cambodians were killed, including the scholars and civil people and national education system had also been destroyed. After the Paris Agreements, comprehensive peace treaties which was signed by the four Cambodian factions, 19 countries, and the United Nations secretary-general in October 1991, the civil war was end and the country need to build up again. Since then many donor countries started to provide aid to Cambodia in order to rebuild the country. This contribution is mainly known as peacebuilding practices.

Looking among the major donor countries, Japan and the Republic of Korea, which both are DAC donor countries, play the important role as the top donor countries to contribute the Cambodia economic development. These tow donors have been providing ODA, both grants and loans, in order to reduce the poverty and increase economic welfare based on the Cambodian millennium development goals and sustain

development goals. They also assist more in investment and trade which contribute to Cambodia economic growth.

This research will be analysis the ODA providing by Japan and Korea in contributing Cambodia development process. Also, it seeks to describe the JICA and KOICA in general and its approach to Cambodia and the implication of the ODA to Cambodia. These motive will lead to the comparison between JICA and KOICA, to find out similarities and differences between the two donors can be derived.

Keywords: Official Development Assistance (ODA), Foreign Aid, JICA, KOICA.