Cambodia Urges South Korea to Accelerate Friendship Bridge Project

By: Son Minea / Ngoeul Narath

Phnom Penh, March 9, 2026 (KPT) – Cambodia’s National Assembly has urged South Korea to speed up construction of the planned Cambodia–Republic of Korea Friendship Bridge, a project intended to link central Phnom Penh with Chroy Changvar and Arey Ksat.

Cheam Yeap, First Vice President of the National Assembly, made the appeal during talks with the chairman of the Korea–Cambodia Parliamentary Friendship Group on Sunday. Yeap said the bridge would stand as a symbol of the close ties and cooperation between the two nations.

The project was first proposed in 2020 by then-prime minister Hun Sen during discussions with South Korean leaders.

Plans call for a cable-stayed bridge connecting the Phnom Penh Night Market area to Chroy Changvar, before extending across the Tonle Sap River to Arey Ksat in Kandal province.

South Korea agreed in 2022 to support the initiative through its embassy in Phnom Penh. Officials have said the bridge would ease traffic congestion, improve transport links, and boost the capital’s appeal to tourists, particularly South Korean visitors.

But the timeline has repeatedly slipped. Cambodia’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport initially suggested construction could begin by late 2022, before delays pushed the start date back.

In 2024, South Korea’s ambassador said work might begin in early 2025, while Cambodian officials later pointed to June 2025. As of early 2026, however, construction has yet to commence.

The bridge is expected to span 2,375 metres with a width of 27.5 metres. Estimated at $235 million, the project will be financed by the Export–Import Bank of Korea and is projected to take five years to complete.