According to Amnesty International, abuses in Cambodia’s scam centres are happening on a “mass scale”. -- PHOTO: AFP
SEOUL (AFP): South Korea's foreign minister summoned Cambodia's ambassador on Friday following a surge in reported kidnappings of South Korean nationals linked to job scams in the South-East Asian country.
The number of reported kidnappings of South Koreans in Cambodia -- previously averaging 10 to 20 cases a year -- surged to 220 last year and 330 as of August 2025, according to lawmaker Na Kyung-won's office.
The recent death of a Korean college student in Cambodia -- reportedly kidnapped and tortured by a local crime ring -- has shocked South Korea.
Many of the South Korean kidnapping victims are said to have been lured by fraudulent job offers promising high pay, according to lawmaker Na.
"I summoned Cambodian Ambassador Khuon Phon Rattanak today to express grave concern over the continued cases of job fraud and confinement involving Korean nationals in Cambodia," Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said in a statement.
He urged "swift and concrete action to eliminate online scams", Cho said, adding that Seoul had issued a special travel advisory for Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital.
"I also called for stronger measures to prevent another tragic loss of life and for closer cooperation between our police authorities."
The late college student, found dead in Cambodia in August, was believed to have died of a heart attack caused by torture and extreme pain, local reports said.
According to Amnesty International, abuses in Cambodia's scam centres are happening on a "mass scale", and there are at least 53 scam compounds in the country where organised criminal groups carry out human trafficking, forced labour, torture, deprivation of liberty and slavery.
Its June report accused the Cambodian government of being "acquiescent" and "complicit" in the exploitation of thousands of workers. - AFP
