Korea lowers travel alerts for parts of Cambodia
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Phnom Penh, Cambodia / Yonhap
Korea on Thursday lowered the travel alerts for parts of Cambodia, including the capital Phnom Penh, saying risks of online scams targeting Korean nationals have eased following Cambodia's crackdown efforts and coordination with Seoul.
The special travel advisory for Phnom Penh, which had urged Korean nationals to leave the country, was lowered to the Level 2 alert advising against travel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a release.
All other regions previously under Level 2, including Siem Reap, were eased to Level 1, which calls for caution when traveling.
The measures took effect at 4 p.m. Thursday.
The travel ban for the Bokor Mountain area in Kampot Province, as well as the cities of Bavet and Poipet -- areas known for online scam activities — remains in effect, along with all other regions subject to departure advisories, including Sihanoukville.
The adjustment in the travel alerts came as the online scam-related situation has improved with Cambodian authorities' tougher crackdown efforts and their coordination with the Korean government, particularly in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, the ministry said.
In mid-October, Korea imposed a travel ban and raised advisories for Cambodian cities and regions rife with online scams, after a surge in such crimes led to the torture death of a Korean college student in August.
Following bilateral consultations, the two countries established a police unit dedicated to tackling online crimes involving Koreans in Cambodia early last month.