SEOUL — The South Korean government has vowed to step up diplomatic and security efforts to protect its nationals in Cambodia following a spike in reported kidnappings and forced labour cases, including the recent death of a 22-year-old student who was tortured after being lured by a fake job offer. President Lee Jae Myung ordered authorities on October 11 to “go all out in terms of diplomacy to safeguard South Koreans from crimes in Cambodia,” with the Foreign Ministry requesting the Cambodian government’s cooperation and warning it may take “additional measures if necessary.” A special travel advisory on Phnom Penh went into effect on October 10, urging citizens to avoid being deceived by fraudulent job advertisements offering unrealistically high salaries.
The warning comes amid multiple rescue operations. In early October, Cambodian police freed two South Koreans in Sihanoukville who reported being beaten, threatened, and forced into a scamming operation. Lawmaker Park Chan-dae confirmed his involvement in rescuing 14 nationals near Kampot in August, during which the body of a South Korean student, surnamed Park, was found. Authorities determined his death was due to cardiac arrest following torture, a month after his abduction.
Park criticized Cambodian authorities’ requirement for photo or video evidence of a kidnapping before initiating rescue missions, pledging to press for state-level responses in Parliament’s upcoming audit. The Foreign Ministry has urged Cambodia to act on basic personal details and location data rather than demanding proof that could delay urgent interventions.
The opposition People Power Party called for a more aggressive stance, including dispatching South Korean police and working with Interpol and local enforcement agencies. Representative Kim Gunn highlighted the alarming rise in abduction reports: 330 cases from January to August 2025, compared with 220 in 2024, and only 2 such cases in 2021. Amnesty International estimates at least 53 scamming compounds operate across Cambodia, accusing local authorities of failing to crack down on these facilities. The surge in kidnappings underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect vulnerable South Koreans from cross-border crime networks.