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4h ago

South Korea Summons Cambodian Envoy, Tightens Phnom Penh Travel Advisory Over Scam-Linked Student Death

Seoul signals heightened concern over rising abductions tied to Cambodian scam networks.

South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun attends a meeting with Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (not pictured) at Foreign Ministry in Tokyo, Japan July 29, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato/Pool/File Photo
Image
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)
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (3rd from R) speaks with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn (4th from L) in New York on Sept. 24, 2025, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, in this file photo provided by Cho's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Overview

  • Foreign Minister Cho Hyun called in Ambassador Khuon Phon Rattanak to protest the August death of a Korean student and pressed for a dedicated Korean Desk and stronger police cooperation.
  • Seoul issued a special Level 2.5 advisory for Phnom Penh that urges Koreans to avoid travel or leave the area, with the measure in place for 90 days.
  • Cambodian police listed cardiac arrest from torture and extreme pain on the student’s death certificate, and both governments are discussing an autopsy to be conducted later this month after a two-month delay in returning the body.
  • Reported kidnappings of South Koreans in Cambodia rose to 220 in 2024 and 330 as of August 2025, up from a historical 10–20 cases per year.
  • Rights reports say victims are lured by high‑pay job offers into scam centres where trafficking, forced labour and torture occur, with Amnesty citing at least 53 such compounds.