Cambodian community in Korea celebrates Khmer New Year in Ansan

Cambodians dance on stage during a celebration of their New Year in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu

Cambodians living all over Korea flocked to celebrate their national new year at Hwarang Street in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on a beautiful Sunday morning.

The Cambodian New Year celebration, known as Choul Chnam Khmer, is one of the most important and joyful festivals in Cambodia. It typically takes place over three days in mid-April, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new year in the Khmer lunar calendar.

The festival attracted over 5,000 people, as the wide street offered enough space for Cambodians' traditional games, cultural dances, music performances and colorful ceremonies. The celebration was more than just a festival, but a time of renewal and reconnection with family, friends and community, as well as with nature.

People participate in a sack race during a festival celebrating Cambodia's New Year in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu

San Nivath, one of the main organizers of the celebration, who is studying for his master's degree in global leadership at a local university, found it satisfying to coordinate the entire festival. He said that the New Year celebration is for all Cambodians regardless of where they live, or whether they are Buddhist, Christian or Muslim. He added that their community is always grateful for the city's unwavering support, providing free space, security and overall active management as well as deploying medical personnel to make sure the celebration was successful.

San Nivath, right, poses with a Cambodian woman during a celebration of the Cambodian New Year in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu

Earlier, he told The Korea Times that the general public was welcome to join the celebration.

“Korean and other foreign friends are expected to come," he said. "It's exciting we’re making a little Cambodia here and sharing our food, culture and friendship with others. We are very much grateful to the local officials who cooperate with our community in Korea.”

Lim Vouchleang, a Cambodian graduate student at Dongguk University in Seoul, came to the festival as a volunteer for the GIT Academy, an institution that provides educational support funding and finds schools that offer scholarships for Cambodian, Vietnamese and Indonesian students to pursue higher education in Korea.

Lim Vouchleang, a Cambodian graduate student at Dongguk University in Seoul, joins a celebration of Cambodia's New Year in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu

“It's very interesting celebrating our New Year once again," she said. "As a foreigner living away from home, there aren’t many festivals like this that celebrate our culture. Events like this are really big for us. As you can see, so many Cambodian people came to join, and it honestly feels like I’m back in Cambodia."

She noted the delicacies from her home country that were being served at the event, which she had been missing. The dishes available at the festival included sticky rice cakes, noodles and various desserts made from coconut, palm sugar and banana.

"There aren’t many Cambodian restaurants in Korea, so this was such a good opportunity for me," she said. "Cambodian cuisine has such a wide variety — there are so many different dishes back home. I was really surprised to see a food exhibition here in Korea showcasing all kinds of Cambodian foods. Honestly, I didn’t expect to see that here. I always thought you could only find something like that in Cambodia, but they have it here too!”

El Raksmey, a Cambodian national, was busy handing out gifts to visitors at his company booth. He works for GME Remittance, a remittance and finance company that provides essential services to the Cambodian community in Korea.

El Raksmey, an employee of GME Remittance, joins a Cambodian New Year celebration in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu

“We promote our service specifically to Cambodians living here,” he said. “They can transfer money abroad and, if they’re short on finances, apply for loans — up to 30 million won. These services are available to those legally residing in Korea with valid work contracts."

Rex has been living in Korea for four years, and during that time, he’s witnessed the growing need for cultural connection within the community.

He pointed out that the New Year festival is a three-day national holiday in his home country, but in Korea the community celebrates it as a one-day event.

"It brings us together to enjoy Cambodian food, traditional dances and performances," he said. "There’s such a strong sense of community here. Everyone comes with friends, and the food — it’s all here, everything we’ve missed from home.”

The atmosphere was filled with joy and festivity, as more and more Cambodians from all corners of Korea kept coming together in celebration. For many of them, the holiday in Korea is more than a festival, it’s a shared identity, culture and memories. Even far from home, the heart of Cambodia continues to beat strongly within its people.

Participants pose for a group photo during a celebration of Cambodia's New Year in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu

An estimated 54,080 Cambodians were living in Korea as of 2023. Some sources cite a slightly higher figure of 65,002 as of 2024, including both workers and other residents.

Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He's also a freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency and the co-founder of Hanokers, a refugee-led social initiative.