South Korea has imposed its most severe travel warning for parts of Cambodia, ordering citizens to leave areas where employment scams and detentions have surged. The 'code black' ban covers the border towns of Poipet and Bavet, along with the Bokor Mountain region in Kampot province, where a 22-year-old Korean student was allegedly tortured to death in August.
About 60 South Koreans remain detained by Cambodian authorities after a crackdown on scam operations, while another 80 cannot be accounted for, officials said. South Korea's top security adviser, Wi Sung-lac, has formed an emergency taskforce to retrieve affected citizens, but acknowledged that returnees will face investigation and possible judicial measures depending on their involvement in criminal networks.
The number of kidnappings of South Koreans in Cambodia has soared in recent months. Victims are typically lured with promises of high-paying jobs, then confined in compounds and forced to participate in online fraud. Witness accounts describe brutal conditions, including torture with electric shock devices and beatings with metal pipes by Chinese supervisors.
A high-level South Korean delegation led by second vice-foreign minister Kim Jina arrived in Phnom Penh on Wednesday to coordinate repatriation, possibly via charter flight. However, many detainees reportedly insist on remaining in Cambodia. Labour minister Kim Young-hoon also plans to meet recruitment websites to strengthen filtering against fraudulent ads.
The crisis has exposed how an estimated 1,000 South Koreans have become entangled in Cambodia's scam industry, which involves 200,000 people of various nationalities targeting victims worldwide, according to security adviser Wi.
