Seoul to send task force to Cambodia following abductions of Koreans

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at the presidential office in Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps

The Korean government plans to send a joint response team to Cambodia, led by the second vice foreign minister and including officials from the National Police Agency and the National Intelligence Service, to oversee the repatriation of Koreans held against their will there and to prevent further harm.

According to presidential spokesman Kim Nam-joon, President Lee Jae Myung expressed a firm resolve to address the Cambodian case during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. At the session, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the National Police Agency briefed the president on the situation and outlined their plans to respond to job scams and unlawful confinement cases involving Koreans in Cambodia.

“On Wednesday, Oct. 15, the Korean government will send a joint task force team to Cambodia, led by the second vice foreign minister and joined by officials from the National Police Agency and the National Intelligence Service,” Kim said during a press briefing at the presidential office. “To prevent additional incidents, the government is considering raising travel advisories for high-risk areas in Cambodia."

Kim added that the government is reviewing repatriation arrangements with Cambodian authorities, planning to send additional police officers and preparing a joint investigation into the recent murder of a Korean university student in the country.

Presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-joon speaks during a press briefing held at the presidential office in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The president stressed that protecting victims and swiftly repatriating those involved must be the government’s highest priorities, instructing ministries to mobilize all available measures and resources immediately to ensure the safety of Korean nationals.

“Right now, the top priority must be to protect the victims and bring back those involved promptly to Korea,” Lee said in his opening remarks at the Cabinet meting. “I ask the relevant ministries to verify the identities of the missing swiftly, and to implement all possible measures immediately to ensure their safety.”

Citing official data on recent employment scams and confinement crimes in Cambodia, the president noted that “many individuals from different countries have been arrested, and it appears that Korea ranks around fifth or sixth among them,” adding that “many citizens are deeply concerned about their children or neighbors who may have fallen victim to these crimes.”

“The government’s most important duty is to protect the lives and safety of the people,” he underscored.

“I’ve heard that some of our citizens and even government officials stationed in Cambodia have been using their own money to assist victims,” the president said. “At the very least, financial issues should not hinder their work. I urge all relevant bodies to mobilize every available resource for a rapid, accurate and decisive response.”

Following the president’s remarks, the Korean government plans to strengthen cross-ministerial cooperation to prevent overseas job scams and related crimes, including monitoring foreign employment ads and expanding public awareness campaigns to discourage involvement in such schemes.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps

The Ministry of Justice aims to enhance international collaboration to crack down on criminal compounds operating abroad, utilizing transnational crime response mechanisms established with ASEAN member states to build a broader cooperative network across Southeast Asia.

The National Police Agency will also launch an international cooperation task force, aimed at conducting joint operations with ASEAN countries to address kidnapping and confinement cases involving Korean nationals.

Domestically, the government will work closely with relevant ministries to analyze the scale and causes of the crimes swiftly and accurately. To prevent further damage and ensure that no cases go unreported, authorities will operate a special reporting period for the public in October.

According to the presidential office, 63 Korean citizens are currently detained by Cambodian authorities.