October 15, 2025
SEOUL – South Korea will dispatch an interagency response team Wednesday led by Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a and joined by representatives of the South Korean police and spy agency, according to President Lee Jae Myung’s office on Tuesday.
Presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-joon said Tuesday that the government will also consider raising travel alerts in some regions in Cambodia in a preemptive move to counter the growing risks of violent crimes there. A “special travel advisory” was issued in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh on Friday. The advisory had already been in effect in the western regions.
Also on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry said 550 abduction cases were reported to the South Korean diplomatic missions from January 2024 until August. Of all reported cases, 80 remain active. The government also revealed that some 60 South Koreans remain incarcerated for their involvement in online scamming activities. Police said it plans to repatriate South Koreans currently detained in Cambodia within a month.
A separate estimate by the police also suggested that it had received 143 reports of people missing and abducted from January 2024 until Monday, and that 52 cases remain open.
At a Cabinet meeting, the president ordered the mobilization of all available resources to respond to ongoing incidents of abduction and confinement targeting South Koreans in Cambodia. Many victims of such abductions are believed to have been lured by fake job ads, only to be subjected to captivity and torture inside scam compounds.
Lee also called for immediate efforts for the repatriation of Koreans abducted by criminal organizations in Cambodia or detained by Cambodian authorities.
“Our people are increasingly concerned about our children and neighbors who have fallen victim to abductions in Cambodia,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday at his office in Seoul.
Travel restrictions to areas with high crime to prevent similar incidents should be imposed, Lee added. Government agencies were also urged during the meeting to accelerate efforts to establish a system of cooperation with Cambodian law enforcement to tackle the problem.
The announcement follows Lee’s order Saturday to use diplomatic measures to protect South Koreans in Cambodia, amid reports of the death of a 22-year-old student surnamed Park. Cambodian police confirmed his death was caused by a cardiac arrest due to torture, as well as reports of Koreans rescued after being held for months.
On Monday, Lee’s office held a follow-up meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the police. Lee’s national security aide, Wi Sung-lac, instructed the agencies to repatriate South Koreans swiftly on humanitarian grounds.
Regarding public criticism over the alleged failure to take proactive measures to rescue victims, South Korean diplomatic missions in Cambodia were also urged to respond immediately to requests for help, as Lee noted that such measures may require regulatory changes, additional staff and dedicated state funding.
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