Union Mobile (CEO Lee Hee-seung), an ICT (information and communication technology) company, announced today that it has officially launched 'Angkor Life', a digital platform that connects Cambodians' daily lives.

Union Mobile recently held a presentation at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Phnom Penh in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where it unveiled the main features of 'Angkor Life' and its future business plans.

More than just a messenger app, AngkorLife is a platform that integrates various digital services that Cambodians need in their daily lives. It offers messaging, shopping, payment, streaming, delivery, taxi booking, and more. It allows users to perform all their daily digital activities.

“We created 'Angkor Life' to make Cambodians' lives more convenient and enriched with Korea's advanced ICT technology,” said Lee Hee-seung, CEO of UnionMobile. ‘The platform aims to digitally connect Cambodians’ daily activities and provide them with a better quality of life.”

EncoreLife is deeply reflective of Cambodian culture. It supports Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, and is familiar to local users with the name “Angkor,” which symbolizes Cambodia, and a logo that depicts the national flower, the Lom Dul flower.

Union Mobile has officially launched 'Encore Life' after more than a year of development and testing in cooperation with Cambodia. Beyond convenience, it will become a tool to promote digital transformation across Cambodian society, the company said.

“Cambodia's digital transformation is still in its early stages, but the emergence of innovative platforms like AngkorLife will make a huge difference in the daily lives of Cambodians,” said Union Mobile. “The platform can fulfill all their digital needs in one app,” the company added, ”allowing users to save more time and enjoy a better quality of life.”

Korean IT company Union Mobile (CEO Lee Hee-seung) is challenging Cambodia's mobile life platform business. UnionMobile, which has been developing the 'Angkor Chat' messenger in close consultation with Cambodian government departments since two years ago, recently expanded 'Angkor Chat' into 'Angkor Life', a comprehensive mobile platform that combines community, shopping, and content in a messenger, and began full-scale service.

UnionMobile held a launch event for 'Angkor Life' in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, on the 22nd. The event was attended by senior Cambodian government officials, including Om Yentieng, Chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Committee, and Mur Chharya, Deputy Minister of Post and Telecommunications, as well as Korean and Cambodian industry representatives, demonstrating the high expectations for 'Angkor Life' in the country.

On the morning of the launch event, we met with UnionMobile Cambodia CEO Lee Hee-seung at UnionMobile's office in Phnom Penh. Lee, an IT veteran with many years of experience at LG Group, shared his ambition to change the lives of not only Cambodians but also foreign tourists visiting Cambodia for the better through 'Angkor Life'.

“'Angkor Life' is being made 100% for Cambodians. We're putting a lot of effort into thorough localization. Many people might ask why we don't go overseas if KakaoTalk is the best in Korea, but it's really hard to localize in one country. We don't know everything about Cambodia. We study the history and try to take into account the local sentiment, but it's hard to understand 100%, but we'll do our best.”

Cambodia's official language is Khmer. Messengers and mobile apps from global tech companies rarely support Khmer. With full Khmer support, 'Angkor Life' is more likely to be welcomed by the local market.

The name and logo of the app are also familiar to locals. The name 'Angkor' is taken from the 'Angkor Dynasty' that built the most powerful empire in Cambodia's history, and the logo is made in the shape of the Lom Dul flower, the national flower of Cambodia. “We will localize 'Angkor Life' as completely as possible and make it a service that Cambodians can feel attached to and even inspire patriotism,” said Lee.

For platform services, localization is important, but it's not a guarantee of success. It is important to provide basic functions and various services reliably. Hee-seung Lee is confident that the basic features of Angkor Life are comparable to apps from global giants. “The voice stock and voice messaging features, which are the most popular messenger features in the local market, are recognized as having better sound quality than competitors' products. To improve the service in low-speed network environments, our domestic technicians traveled to Cambodia to conduct various tests. With the best features and perfect localization, we are confident that 'Angkor Life' will be well established in the local market.”

Union Mobile will offer a wide range of services through Angkor Life, including messaging, shopping, payment, streaming (OTT), games, delivery, taxi hailing, booking, and more. The company aims to solve many of the needs of everyday life with 'Encore Life'.

“For shopping, we will provide an open market platform. We are not only thinking about B2C but also B2B. For games, webtoons, and delivery platforms, we are discussing collaboration with several partners. Through OTT services, we will make it convenient to view excellent Cambodian content and Korean K-content anytime, anywhere. In the case of taxi hailing, we will have to compete with strong players such as Grab, which will not be easy, but we will prepare hard.”

After the local launch of 'Angkor Life', Union Mobile plans to expand its user pool through various promotions. Instead of investing in large-scale marketing expenditures, the company will expand its industry-academia cooperation model and appeal to the strengths of 'Angkor Life' locally. “We plan to build a high-speed wireless internet network at Cambodian universities so that students can use all the features of 'Angkor Life' in a comfortable environment,” said Lee. ”We also plan to organize a course program to recruit talented people from Cambodian universities.” “We also have local-friendly marketing plans, such as Angkor Life's participation in the 'Miss World University' referendum,” he added.

Lee spoke highly of the Cambodian market, saying it “may be a bigger market than it's realized.” “Cambodia is known to have a small population of 17 million and an economy that is not as large as its neighbors, but its mobile payment volume last year was about $290 billion, which is not much different from other Southeast Asian countries,” he said. Domestic commercial banks have also entered Cambodia in large numbers, and I think it is because they first grasped the potential of the Cambodian market.”

Finally, Mr. Lee expressed his hope that many Cambodians will become wealthy through 'Angkor Life'. “I came to Cambodia for work, but now I love the country. Big data is becoming increasingly important these days, and all the data of 'Angkor Life' is stored in Cambodia. Just like building a network of roads and other infrastructure, we have created a platform that is 100% for Cambodians.” ”We want Cambodians to do business, communicate with each other, and get rich. We want to contribute to Cambodia in many ways through Angkor Life.”

Local Government-Union Mobile Partnership

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On the afternoon of the 22nd, Union Mobile, a Korean startup, announced its future business plans at a hotel in downtown Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where it held a vision declaration ceremony for its locally customized mobile platform 'Ankor Life'. Ankor Life was developed and recently launched as a mobile platform that integrates shopping, content, and other functions centered on messengers such as KakaoTalk. Digital Angkor, a local subsidiary owned 49% by Union Mobile and 51% by the Cambodian government, will have the right to operate the business for 15 years.

The project to build the local integrated mobile platform AngkorLife was reportedly initiated at the suggestion of the Cambodian government. “In a situation where there is no platform sovereignty, risks associated with foreign services can erupt at any time, so we wanted to create a service like South Korea's Kakao,” said Cambodia's Deputy Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Mur Chhary, in an interview with The Seoul Economic Daily.

Senior Minister Om Yen Tieng, who also attended the event, said, “For the sustainability of mobile services in Cambodia, AngkorLife is an essential platform,” adding, “It will be developed by Korea, which has high technology and will be convenient for users.”

What started as 'Angkor Chat' to become Cambodia's national messenger

Expanding the messenger into a comprehensive mobile life platform with shopping, payments, content and more

Senior Cambodian government officials attend local announcement, expressing their excitement

Korean IT company Union Mobile is accelerating its project to create a national messenger for Cambodia. The company is expanding its existing messenger app 'Angkor Chat' to a comprehensive digital life platform 'Angkor Life' and holding a launch event in Cambodia to revitalize the service.

On the 22nd (local time), Union Mobile held a presentation of 'Angkor Life' at Hayat Regency Hotel Phnom Penh, located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and announced its future business and marketing plans. The event, which was attended by UnionMobile's CEO Hee-seung Lee, senior Cambodian government officials, and local and international industry representatives, presented the blueprint for UnionMobile's national messenger business in Cambodia.

UnionMobile's upcoming project, 'Angkor Life', was born out of the need for a local messenger in Cambodia. UnionMobile has been working with key Cambodian government officials for more than two years to plan and develop the project.

Union Mobile originally developed the messenger app Angkor Chat, but has decided to expand its services to Angkor Life, a mobile life platform that provides various functions such as messaging, shopping, payment, streaming, delivery, taxi, reservation, and games in one app.

UnionMobile aims to make a splash in the Cambodian market, where WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger are dominant, with localization as its top advantage.

The name “Angkor,” a word that symbolizes Cambodia, and the logo design, which depicts the Lom Dewlap flower, the national flower of Cambodia, are familiar to locals, and the service fully supports Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, to ensure convenience. “We created 'Angkor Life' by applying advanced Korean IT technology to Cambodian sensibilities,” said Lee Hee-seung, CEO of UnionMobile, explaining the background of the naming and logo design in consideration of local sentiments.

The convenience of using various services in a single app is the core of 'Angkor Life' that Union Mobile is touting as its advantage. “We integrated three popular mobile services, community, commerce, and content, with a focus on user convenience,” said Lee. Through messengers and social media, users share information and form communities. Information about good products, services, and content is shared through online communities, and information about good products or services leads to purchases, which requires payment. 'Encore Life' has organized its core services so that information, products, and purchases can be interconnected,” said Mr. Lee.

'Encore Life' will be equipped with chat (messenger), shopping (open market), games, streaming (OTT), payment, delivery, taxi, and reservation services. It will integrate and interconnect the three major service communities, commerce, and content. Union Mobile is committed to providing more advanced services with domestic and international partners.

After establishing itself in the Cambodian market with 'Angkor Life', Union Mobile is planning to enter the neighboring Southeast Asian markets. “We are developing AI translation technology, which is already 80% complete,” said Lee. We will grow it into a platform where users and operators in Cambodia and neighboring countries can actively communicate and engage in economic activities,” said Lee.

The event was attended by a number of senior Cambodian government officials.

Senior Minister Om Yentieng, who chairs the National Anti-Corruption Committee, said, “After people, roads, water, and electricity, digital technology is important. In the face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Cambodia is also striving to respond to the digital transformation of its economy and society. Digital technology is the foundation for Cambodia's goal of becoming a high-income country by 2050.” ”Social media apps such as Facebook, Telegram, and Instagram are popular, but they are all foreign programs. 'Angkor Life' is now available to make domestic communication more sustainable and convenient,” he said, declaring the official launch of ‘Angkor Life’.

Mr. Yoon Ha-cheong, KOTRA Phnom Penh, expressed his hope that 'Angkor Life' will become a successful example of cooperation between Korea and Cambodia. “Korea ranks sixth in the world in digital competitiveness and is engaged in digital cooperation with Cambodia in various fields,” said Yoon. ”Angkor Life is an app that incorporates Korea's advanced technology and will contribute to changing Cambodia's digital life.”

Union Mobile's subsidiary, Digital Angkor (DA), is developing a mobile messenger called 'AngkorChat.' Union Mobile has ambitious plans to establish 'AngkorChat' as Cambodia's national messenger.

As the importance of messengers rises amid the potential takeover of Naver's Line Messenger, which boasts a high market share in Japan and Southeast Asia, by Japanese entities, a domestic company actively pursuing the messenger business overseas is drawing attention. Union Mobile, a domestic IT company developing 'AngkorChat' through its subsidiary Digital Angkor (DA), has boldly announced its ambition to establish itself as Cambodia's national messenger. Union Mobile plans to evolve 'AngkorChat,' currently in its soft launch phase, into a versatile mobile platform by adding features such as gaming, OTT (over-the-top) services, delivery, and payment functions to its messenger service. In May, DailyGame visited Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to meet Oh Ju-won, the head of Union Mobile's branch, and learn detailed information about the 'AngkorChat' project. Oh Ju-won explained the background of 'AngkorChat's' development: "In Cambodia, due to the lack of advanced development capabilities, most people use foreign apps for messaging. Telegram and WhatsApp are commonly used, but Telegram's monetization has caused inconvenience for users. Additionally, many foreign messengers lack adequate support for the Khmer language. 'AngkorChat' aims to approach Cambodian users with perfect language support," he said.

<Photo 1> Emoticons introduced in 'AngkorChat.' Union Mobile plans to expand into the character business in the future.

Oh Ju-won said, "In terms of service sustainability, I believe 'AngkorChat' has a strong advantage. Global IT companies sometimes block access to their services from Cambodian IPs due to security concerns, which can cause significant inconvenience for users relying on foreign messengers. 'AngkorChat,' which involves the Cambodian government, does not have such concerns," he added.

The name "Angkor" holds significant symbolism in Cambodia. "Angkor," meaning "dynasty" in Khmer, is widely known through "Angkor Wat," a must-visit tourist destination before one dies. Due to its strong symbolism, it is difficult to use the name commercially. Regarding this, Oh Ju-won explained, "We were able to use the name 'Angkor' because we are closely collaborating with the Cambodian government on the 'AngkorChat' project. The name 'Angkor' itself is considered a trustworthy name in Cambodia."

'AngkorChat' is not only familiar by name to Cambodians. It also uses cute characters of animals familiar to Cambodians for marketing purposes. Union Mobile plans to develop a character business similar to 'Kakao Friends' in the future.

However, it is not easy to say that 'AngkorChat' can compete with existing global messenger giants just because of familiar language and characters. If the functional aspects are not supported, many users are likely to continue using the messengers they are accustomed to. Union Mobile aims to compete by adding perfect language support and various services to the basics of a messenger app. Oh Ju-won stated, "In Cambodia, many users do not know English well. Some cannot understand even simple English menus in games and play by memorizing positions. 'AngkorChat' enhances user convenience with perfect Khmer language support and solid basics as a messenger. It supports not only text messages but also voice messages and voice talk functions. The call quality is comparable to competing products. We plan to secure competitiveness by adding various services."

<Photo 2> Oh Ju-won, head of Union Mobile's Cambodia branch. He has been a local expert in Cambodia since settling there in 2000. He plays a significant role in Union Mobile's local business, including the 'AngkorChat' project.

Oh Ju-won describes the "various services" as encompassing everything. They plan to integrate gaming, OTT, food delivery services, banking, and payment services into 'AngkorChat.' It is true that for a new project with a small user base, the scope is worryingly broad. Union Mobile intends to offer these various services within 'AngkorChat' through appropriate partnerships. Oh Ju-won said, "We will handle what we can directly, but we are open to partnerships if there are good partners. We are already in discussions with domestic companies in the gaming and delivery service sectors and considering partnerships with local startups."

He added, "Especially in gaming, I want to introduce good Korean games to Cambodia through 'AngkorChat.' In Cambodia, expenditure on cultural content is relatively high compared to the income level. I believe that with localization efforts and active marketing, there is ample potential. I want to work with good Korean developers."

Despite the potential of Union Mobile's 'AngkorChat,' there is still a long way to go. It has been about a year since the soft launch, yet it remains in the soft launch stage rather than a full release. Oh Ju-won explained, "This is the time to solidify the service. We are focusing on stabilizing the messenger app and developing various features. We are also planning marketing strategies. We are planning to integrate the voting system of Korean audition programs into a local beauty pageant in Cambodia, reflecting a certain percentage of the votes. We have signed an MOU with the beauty pageant organization. Voting will be conducted through our 'AngkorChat.' Considering the high interest in beauty pageants locally, this will greatly help in expanding 'AngkorChat' users."

Overtaking global giants like Telegram and WhatsApp to become Cambodia's national messenger is certainly not an easy task. It may even seem like an impossible mission. It remains to be seen whether Union Mobile's ambitious challenge will bear fruit.

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September 23, 2023

Organized by: Cambodian Government

1. Purpose of the Event

The event was conducted to introduce AngkorChat, the official messenger supported by the Cambodian government. It aimed to explain the philosophy behind its introduction, the installation process, and its strategy as the primary means of communication for the Cambodian citizens. Discussions also encompassed the strategic positioning of AngkorChat as a pivotal channel for the public in the future.

2. Opening Remarks and Speeches

The event was inaugurated with a speech by Senior Minister Om Yentieng, who emphasized the significance of the project to create a national communication channel for Cambodia and expressed pride in collaborating with South Korean ICT companies. Mr. Hee-Seung Lee, the representative from Union Mobile, conveyed his strong belief in the importance of AngkorChat and the bright prospects it holds for Cambodia's new IT ecosystem.

3. Introduction to AngkorChat Service

• Ms. Bopha, an executive from Union Mobile's Cambodian branch, showcased various features and advantages of AngkorChat.

• Attendees were provided an opportunity to install and experience the AngkorChat app firsthand, witnessing its superior qualities.

• A key highlight was its mobile payment system, emphasizing the significance of consolidating Cambodia's mobile payment market.

• For financial stability, Union Mobile partnered with Woori Bank's local entity, emphasizing the scalability and adaptability of the AngkorChat platform.

• The potential for job creation and the provision of new opportunities for the youth through the platform were also discussed.

4. AngkorFriends

• "AngkorFriends" is a new set of characters birthed from AngkorChat, designed based on mythological creatures from Cambodian legends.

• Merchandise featuring these characters was gifted to attendees.

• The AngkorFriends characters represent validated products and businesses and are anticipated to be incorporated across diverse Cambodian industries.

5. Dinner and Ceremonies

• The evening was complemented with a dinner where attendees deliberated on business strategies using AngkorChat and AngkorFriends.

• Relevant Cambodian government agencies presented plans on how they intend to use AngkorChat as their main communication channel.

  
  

  

"I want to be a stepping stone when Korean startups venture abroad. We hope to incorporate excellent services from Korea into our locally developed Cambodian messenger platform 'AngkorChat' for a joint debut."

A comprehensive business agreement related to joint development of educational programs and talent cultivation in collaboration with the University of Cambodia.

Dr. Lee Duk-Hoon, Former Monetary Policy Committee Member at the Bank of Korea, Joins: A Convergence of Experience and Challenge... 'A Stepping Stone for the Expansion of Electronic Finance'.

After signing an MOU last May... Official launch planned for early next year.

Final preparations underway for an early next year launch.

■ Overview

• Date & Location: May 15, 2022, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Event: Union Mobile and Cambodia's SNCTC established a strategic partnership with an MOU for the launch of a new messenger service, 'AngkorChat'.

■ Attendees

• Union Mobile Korea: CEO Lee Hee-seung, Vice President Cho Hyun-keun, Executive Director Yoon Tae-goo, and others.

• Union Mobile Cambodia: Branch Manager Oh Ju-won and others.

• Cambodia's SNCTC: Chairman Om Yentieng, Vice Chairman Sok Sothea, and over 20 key officials.

■ MOU Signing Ceremony & Key Remarks

• Vice Chairman Sok Sothea expressed his excitement for the launch of "AngkorChat", a messenger service fortified with safe technology for Cambodians. He also mentioned the delightful collaboration with Union Mobile.

• CEO Lee Hee-seung conveyed his anticipation for the mobile service launch in partnership with Cambodia. Noting the significance of the day being 'Teacher's Day' in Korea, he felt the day had additional importance.

• Both parties exchanged signed MOUs, followed by the exchange of commemorative gifts and a photo session to wrap up the main ceremony.

■ Post-Ceremony Event & Expectations

• During the post-ceremony event, SNCTC's key officials shared their aspirations for the success of 'AngkorChat' and continued collaboration with Union Mobile.

• The event, which commenced at 5 PM, concluded at 9 PM. Korean and Cambodian delegates celebrated the two-year-long project preparations and expressed confidence and wishes for the success of the upcoming project.

Union Mobile Cambodia, a subsidiary of South Korea's Union Mobile, and the University of Cambodia successfully conducted a business agreement ceremony on August 16, 2021, for the supply of remote lecture platforms and systems.

Union Mobile commits to providing an advanced remote learning system tailored for the students of the University of Cambodia. The agreement includes the initiation of job training programs led by a cadre of expert instructors from South Korea. This initiative is expected to broaden its scope beyond students to the general public, substantially contributing to the creation of new employment opportunities within Cambodia.

Moreover, there is a keen anticipation that numerous universities in South Korea will participate in this educational venture. This involvement is expected to significantly contribute to the development of Cambodia through the export of South Korea's advanced remote education programs.

Additionally, Union Mobile has taken a step further by agreeing to co-supply a high-speed wireless internet network within the University of Cambodia. This technological advancement will enable students to access remote lectures and essential resources from anywhere on campus via mobile devices, thereby fostering an environment conducive to flexible and efficient learning.

This partnership marks a significant milestone in the field of educational technology and cross-border collaboration, setting a precedent for future educational innovations and international cooperation.