South Korea summons Cambodian envoy over job scams targeting nationals

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.