Government scrambles as Korean kidnappings spike in Cambodia

Reports of South Koreans kidnapped in Cambodia have surged after a university student was abducted and killed there.

A man in his 20s from Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, went to Cambodia on Oct. 1 and called his family, asking for 20,000 Tether coins (about 30 million won), before losing contact. A man in his 50s from Busan, who left for Cambodia in May, also contacted his family in early October saying he was being held. A man in his 20s from Gwangju made a final call pleading for help before disappearing. Authorities believe all three were lured abroad by overseas job scams.

Cases of South Koreans being kidnapped in Cambodia have surged, rising from a single report three years ago to 330 incidents through August. South Korean police added only one officer to the embassy in Phnom Penh after the university student’s death. In March, a woman in her 20s sent a photo of a severed finger demanding money, but authorities closed the case because her family remained in contact with the woman. Critics say the government has been slow to respond, citing the incidents’ overseas location.

Koreans in trouble abroad naturally turn to their embassy for help. But the Foreign Ministry instructs victims to report directly to Cambodian police, providing their location, contact information, and passport copies. A man in his 40s held in Cambodia last June said he secretly contacted the embassy but was told to report through Google Translate to the police. He eventually escaped and arrived at the embassy at dawn, only to be told to return during office hours. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said the embassy “failed to grasp the severity of the situation for a long time.”

The government has now formed a task force and set up a “Korean Desk” in Cambodia, staffed by officers handling such cases. Cambodia’s undeveloped jungles and remote crime areas make cooperation with local police essential. With more than 400 billion won in official development aid provided to Cambodia this year, the government must actively seek investigative support to locate and repatriate kidnapped South Koreans.