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5h ago

South Korea Presses Cambodia After Student’s Death as Prosecutors Indict Three Chinese Suspects

Seoul demands a rapid autopsy, swift repatriation, closer policing to stem job-scam detentions.

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This image, provided by the foreign ministry in Seoul on Oct. 10, 2025, shows a map of Cambodia (R) reflecting the special travel advisory adjustment for Phnom Penh. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This EPA file photo shows suspects are seen with their hands zip-tied after being detained during a police raid on a scam center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on July 16, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This file photo, provided by the foreign ministry on Sept. 25, 2025, shows Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (3rd from R) speaking to his Cambodian counterpart, Prak Sokhonn, in New York. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Overview

  • Prosecutors in Kampot Province filed murder and fraud charges against three Chinese nationals over the August torture death of a South Korean student found near Bokor Mountain.
  • South Korea issued a special 90‑day travel advisory for Phnom Penh, urging nationals to avoid the city or leave if already there.
  • Foreign Minister Cho Hyun summoned Cambodia’s ambassador and urged a dedicated Korean Desk and tighter police cooperation to protect Korean nationals targeted by online job scams.
  • The student’s remains remain in Cambodia pending an autopsy as Seoul pushes for expedited procedures and repatriation amid ongoing coordination with Cambodian authorities.
  • Officials reported two recent rescues of South Koreans confined and tortured for about 160 days after being lured by a fake IT job, as cases surged to 220 in 2024 and roughly 330 by August 2025, with rights groups describing mass abuses at scam compounds.