Crime wave in Cambodia threatens Korean investments and bilateral trust

Three suspects allegedly linked to the torture and killing of a Korean student in August stand in Kampot province in Cambodia after a major raid on online scam operations, Sunday, in this captured photo from the Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) website. Yonhap

A surge in violent crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia has sparked fear and outrage in both countries, straining bilateral ties and casting a pall over tourism and cultural exchange.

In recent months, a string of high-profile cases in which Koreans were kidnapped, tortured and killed by Cambodian crime syndicates — often tied to Chinese criminal networks — has shifted public sentiment and brought tangible repercussions for both Korean residents and Cambodian migrants.

"Restaurants and tour businesses have lost bookings, and many are cutting contact with partners in Korea," said Chung Myung-kyu, head of the Korean Association of Cambodia. "People are saying, ‘Keep your head down. Don’t draw attention to yourself.'"

Local business owners reported canceled contracts and a drop in tourist numbers since reports of violence and scams began going viral on social media.

For Park, a 48-year-old bank employee in Seoul, the anxiety became personal.

Earlier this year, he traveled to Cambodia as part of a partnership project with a local bank, with a follow-up trip planned for later this year or early next. Park’s firm has even considered sending a staff member to stay for six months to oversee the project’s possible expansion. But he and his family are deeply uneasy about the idea, and he has begun contemplating a departmental transfer should a long-term posting become unavoidable.

Phnom Penh International Airport in Cambodia / gettyimagesbank

While Korea’s leading tour operators say there have been limited cancellations of package trips, companies are moving to reassure customers by tightening real-time security coordination and emphasizing traveler safety as a key part of their brand strategy.

Meanwhile, the Korean public has expressed growing apprehension about Cambodia. Unverified claims about the extent of crime and criminal proceeds are spreading on social media, with posts cautioning that travel there could result in forced labor or worse.

Some online users have leveled sweeping accusations — “Cambodians see Koreans as money and treat them like objects; they will sell you to Chinese gangs” — stoking an atmosphere of suspicion and hostility that also affects Cambodians living in Korea.

In an official statement, the Korean Association of Cambodia called attention to the impact on local communities and businesses, warning, "Recent media reports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ elevation of travel warnings have led Cambodia to be painted as a country rife with crime, abduction and incarceration, causing great economic damage to our community and local enterprises."

The group noted, "Unlawful employment and abduction cases occur only in some border areas. It is an exaggeration to label Cambodia a place of social chaos."

The roots of the crisis lie in criminal groups exploiting the vulnerability of young Koreans seeking jobs abroad. Employment scams lure victims with promise of high pay, resulting in confinement, forced participation in online fraud and, in the most extreme cases, death.

Lawmakers question Foreign Minister Cho Hyun at a National Assembly audit, Monday, as a chart shows the growth of violent crimes against Koreans in Cambodia. Yonhap

The scale of the problem has escalated rapidly: The number of Koreans reported to have been kidnapped or missing in Cambodia soared from fewer than 20 in 2022 to over 220 in 2024, and already over 330 cases have been recorded by August this year. Many victims who escaped were repatriated with the help of the embassy and Korean community in Cambodia but face trauma and lost livelihoods.

At a regular briefing on Monday, acting National Police Agency Commissioner Yoo Jae-sung said authorities are stepping up international cooperation to protect Koreans amid the surge in crimes in Cambodia.

Yoo pledged to call for the establishment of a “Korean Desk” within Cambodia’s national police during upcoming bilateral talks.