Cambodia: S. Korea govt. investigate allegations of human trafficking and torture of Korean student's death and open Korean Desk to respond to job scams
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"Korean police launch response after job scams, abductions in Cambodia", 12 October 2025
South Korea's National Police Agency announced … that it would be launching a "Korean Desk" in Cambodia to respond to a recent rise in job scams that have led to the kidnapping and torture of South Korean workers abroad.
South Korean police said that acting Chief Yoo Jae-seong would meet with Cambodia's high-ranking police officials in Seoul on the sidelines of the upcoming International Police Summit …, the Korean Herald reported…
South Korea is facing a surge in abductions of its citizens in Cambodia, where at least 330 cases have been reported as of August, up from 220 last year, according to data submitted to the National Assembly. Most incidents have been linked to transnational criminal syndicates running online job scams that lure young Koreans with promises of high salaries, only to detain them for ransom or forced labor once they arrive.
A recent high-profile case involved a 22-year-old South Korean university student found dead in Cambodia's Kampot province in August. Cambodian police said he died of cardiac arrest with signs of torture found on his body. Three Chinese suspects were arrested, accused of luring him with a fake job offer and to a villa where he was beaten to death. In a separate case, a Korean man in his 50s was abducted and assaulted in Phnom Penh…
Rep. Park Chan-dae, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said on his Facebook page Saturday that his office had helped the government and family members of two other victims in aiding in their rescue from Cambodia.
"While the recent Cambodia rescue operation was ultimately successful, it relied on the family's desperation and the dedication of a few public officials," he said. "This approach cannot prevent another tragedy at any time. Going forward, it must become a 'system-driven rescue' rather than a 'lucky rescue.'"…