South Korea grants an additional $7 million for the restoration of Khmer Temples

The Preah Pithou temples and Lean Chul Damrei (the Terrace of the Elephants) in Siem Reap are central to this agreement. The grant contract was signed by Dr. Sum Map, Director General of the APSARA National Authority, and Jeong Yun Gil, Director of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) office in Cambodia, during the 25th Plenary Session of the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) for Angkor, held on December 6.

Following a first phase of Korean assistance between 2013 and the present, a second phase is now underway. According to AKP, South Korea will release an additional $7 million over the next five years, until 2023, to support the restoration and conservation of the Preah Pithou and Lean Chul Damrei temples in Siem Reap province.

 (The façade of the Terrace of the Elephants)

A dedicated laboratory

Although all the details of this operation have yet to be disclosed, KOICA has expressed its intention to continue the efforts made over the past five years. This includes providing state-of-the-art equipment and enhancing the expertise of professionals working to preserve these temples, which are at significant risk of deterioration.

A key component of the program involves training Cambodian personnel—both locally and through placements in South Korea—under the guidance of South Korean specialists.

(Inauguration of the APSARA laboratory dedicated to the preservation of Preah Pithou, in 2017)

Four million dollars had already been invested during the first phase of South Korean assistance. A quarter of that amount was allocated to the establishment of a dedicated laboratory for the preservation of the Preah Pithou temple.

"It is equipped with specialized tools that allow us to analyze stones and conduct architectural surveys," stated Tan Sophal, Deputy Director of the APSARA Department of Monument Conservation, last year. He also noted that the laboratory staff includes experts from South Korea.