SEOUL – South Korea has summoned Cambodia’s ambassador to formally protest a sharp rise in job scams and illegal detentions targeting its citizens, following the torture-related death of a 22-year-old South Korean student in Cambodia. The diplomatic move reflects growing alarm over organized crime networks operating with apparent impunity in the Southeast Asian nation.

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South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun convened a meeting with Cambodian Ambassador Khuon Phon Rattanak on Friday to convey grave concern regarding the increasing cases of job fraud and forced confinement involving South Korean nationals. Minister Cho urged Phnom Penh to take swift and concrete action to dismantle online scam operations and enhance police cooperation to prevent further tragedies.

The case centers on a college student who entered Cambodia on July 17 after responding to a fake job offer. He was found dead in August, with authorities initially attributing his death to a heart attack. However, evidence suggests he was beaten and tortured, with his family reporting they received a ransom demand for 50 million won (approximately US$38,500) shortly after his arrival. South Korean police have announced plans to conduct a joint autopsy with Cambodian counterparts.

🇰🇷 BREAKING: South Korea Warns — “Cambodia Has Become a Haven for Criminals and Scammers!”
Citizens urged to avoid travel at all costs.#Cambodia pic.twitter.com/WYKQoYrrhA

— Alpha Paul🇺🇳 (@addict_ico) October 13, 2025

This incident has ignited public outrage in South Korea amid skyrocketing abduction statistics. Reported kidnappings of South Koreans in Cambodia have surged from fewer than 20 annually to 220 cases in 2024 and 330 as of August 2025, according to lawmaker Na Kyung-won. Victims are typically lured by online advertisements promising lucrative employment, only to be detained and abused by criminal syndicates.

The crisis has drawn international attention, with Amnesty International documenting abuses on a “mass scale” across at least 53 scam centers in Cambodia. The human rights organization accused Cambodian authorities of being “acquiescent and complicit” in systematic human trafficking, forced labor, and torture.

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In response to the deteriorating security situation, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry elevated its travel advisory for Phnom Penh and several provinces including Oddar Meanchey and Preah Sihanouk to a Special Travel Advisory on October 10, urging citizens to cancel non-essential travel. The South Korean government continues to monitor the situation closely and may implement further advisory adjustments as conditions evolve.

-Thailand News (TN)