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South Korean president Lee Jae Myung has called for “all-out” diplomatic efforts to protect citizens in Cambodia after a university student was lured there by a scam ring and allegedly tortured to death.
At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Lee said “protecting the lives and safety of citizens is the government’s greatest responsibility” and called for all scam victims to be “swiftly repatriated”.
The number of kidnappings of South Koreans in Cambodia has soared in recent months, prompting national security adviser Wi Sung-lac to form an emergency task force for the swift repatriation of citizens affected by scams.
Victims of scams are typically lured with promises of high-paying jobs before being confined in compounds and forced to participate in online fraud operations, particularly voice phishing scams, according to multiple sources, including Yonhap News. Those who refuse face beatings with pipes and electric shock devices, according to rescued victims who spoke to lawmaker Park Chan-dae, Yonhap News reported.
The body of the alleged victim, identified by Cambodian authorities as 22-year-old Park Min-ho, remains in Cambodia more than two months after his death. In a media interview, family members described the situation as “killing him twice”, with his remains still in cold storage. South Korea is seeking to conduct a joint autopsy.
Three Chinese nationals have been charged with murder and online fraud in connection with Park’s death, according to Cambodian prosecutors. Two additional suspects remain at large.
Park’s family last saw him in mid-July, when he left home, reportedly telling his family he was attending an exhibition during a summer holiday. A week later, his family received a ransom call demanding 50m won (£26,000), with the caller claiming Park had “caused trouble”, according to Yonhap News.
Contact ceased after several days, and two weeks later, his body was found near Bokor Mountain in Kampot province, an area known for crime compounds and human trafficking.
According to Cambodia’s interior ministry, the student died from “severe torture” and showed bruising in many places on the body, based on authorities’ investigation and preliminary autopsy.
A witness who was confined with Park and later rescued told Democratic party lawmaker Park Chan-dae’s office that the student had been so severely beaten he could not walk or breathe. He reportedly died in a vehicle while being taken to hospital.
Amid rising diplomatic tensions between the two countries, South Korea is seeking to send police to Cambodia to establish a “Korean desk” so officers can work directly with Cambodian police rather than operate via embassy officials. Both sides are scheduled to meet next week.
Cambodia’s interior ministry has disputed some media reports, stating it did not receive complaints from Park’s family or the Korean embassy before police discovered his body in a vehicle during a patrol. The ministry said it was cooperating with Korean officials on the investigation.
Lee Un-ju, a senior Democratic party lawmaker, wrote on Facebook that if Cambodia responded inadequately, measures including military action “should be considered” to protect Korean nationals.
The case has exposed an explosion of kidnappings involving Koreans in Cambodia. Reported cases jumped from 17 in 2023 to 220 last year, with 330 recorded by August this year, according to data the foreign ministry provided to parliament.
South Korea has raised travel warnings for Phnom Penh and areas including Sihanoukville and Bokor Mountain to special advisories, urging citizens to cancel or postpone non-essential travel.
Amnesty International recently identified 53 large-scale scam compounds in Cambodia and accused the government of enabling the operations through inaction.
