Cambodia’s Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation has rejected what it described as a “misleading and unethical” report published by The Nation Thailand, accusing the outlet of distorting facts and damaging Cambodia’s international reputation.
In a same-day statement, the ministry’s Public Relations Unit said it “strongly rejects” the article Seoul halts water-management support project in Cambodia published by The Nation on October 19.
The report was accompanied by photographs from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the ministry and South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI).
The ministry clarified that its cooperation with STEPI remains active and uninterrupted, noting that both institutions continue to collaborate on science, technology, and innovation initiatives, including ongoing work on the Industrial Innovation Cluster study.
“All joint activities and communications between the two institutions are proceeding normally and constructively,” the statement claimed.
The ministry accused The Nation of committing “a serious breach of media ethics” by misrepresenting official photos of the MoU signing ceremony to falsely imply that the collaboration with South Korea had been halted.
“This act of distortion is irresponsible journalism that damages the Cambodian government’s reputation and misleads international audiences,” it said, adding that the report appeared to be a “deliberate attempt to mislead the public and tarnish the image of Cambodia’s cooperation with the Republic of Korea”.
The ministry reaffirmed its close and friendly partnership with the South Korean government and people, describing the relationship as one “built on mutual trust, transparency and a shared commitment to advancing science, technology and innovation for sustainable development”.
It urged the public and other media organisations to verify information through credible and official sources, rather than relying on “biased or unethical outlets that spread misinformation”.
“We issue our strongest rejection of this reporting,” it said.
“Cambodia’s cooperation with the Republic of Korea continues in good faith and remains a vital part of our national innovation and development goals,” it added.
The disputed article had suggested that Seoul has suspended a water-management support project in Cambodia — a claim the ministry dismissed as “completely unfounded”.
