Seoul took decisive action on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, by prohibiting travel to certain Cambodian regions. This urgent measure follows the tragic torture and murder of a South Korean college student in the country, deeply unsettling the nation.
The travel ban comes as South Korea prepares to deploy a specialized team to Cambodia on the same day. Their mission is to address a disturbing pattern of fraudulent job offers and scam operations that have resulted in the kidnapping of dozens of South Korean citizens.
A statement from the Foreign Ministry explicitly named the Bokor Mountain area in Kampot Province, Bavet City, and Poipet City as restricted “travel ban zones.” The ministry issued a stern warning, advising all South Korean nationals currently in or planning to visit these forbidden zones to cancel their trips immediately, as failure to comply could lead to severe penalties.
This travel prohibition follows an earlier revelation that approximately 1,000 South Koreans are reportedly involved in Cambodian scam operations, primarily targeting unsuspecting victims back home in South Korea. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac highlighted the vast scale of this global issue, estimating around 200,000 individuals of various nationalities are entangled in Cambodia’s scam industry, with a significant number being South Koreans.
Currently, 63 South Korean nationals are reportedly detained by Cambodian authorities, and Seoul has pledged to facilitate their repatriation. Mr. Wi confirmed that arrangements are being made for a flight to bring these individuals home, with a target completion by the end of the week. Among the 63 detained, there are both “voluntary and involuntary participants” in these illicit scam operations.
However, Mr. Wi underscored that regardless of their initial intentions, most of these individuals are considered to have committed criminal acts by participating in the schemes and will face investigation upon their return to South Korea. The special South Korean response team, led by the vice foreign minister, is scheduled to depart on Wednesday evening, according to an anonymous government official.
A Brutal Killing Uncovered
Between January and August of this year, Seoul’s foreign ministry received reports of approximately 330 South Koreans either missing or forcibly detained in Cambodia. This number was later refined to 80 individuals whose safety remains unconfirmed.
The Presidential office affirmed Seoul’s commitment to making “every diplomatic effort to secure Cambodia’s cooperation.” The high-level response team includes seasoned officials from both the police and South Korea’s national spy agency.
Beyond repatriation efforts, the police component of the team will also spearhead a joint investigation into the recent, tragic death of the South Korean college student. The student’s death, reportedly a victim of kidnapping and brutal torture by a criminal organization, has sent shockwaves across South Korea.
A Cambodian court statement revealed that police investigations and an autopsy confirmed the student, discovered in a pickup truck on August 8, “died as a result of severe torture, with multiple bruises and injuries across his body.” Three Chinese nationals were subsequently charged with murder and online fraud on August 11 and are currently held in pre-trial detention.
Seoul reports that many South Korean victims of these crimes in Cambodia were enticed by deceptive job offers promising lucrative salaries.
Human rights organization Amnesty International has warned that abuses within Cambodia’s scam centers are occurring on a “mass scale.” Amnesty’s findings indicate at least 53 known scam compounds in Cambodia, where organized criminal groups are engaged in widespread human trafficking, forced labor, torture, deprivation of liberty, and slavery.