'Cambodia is peaceful…' Korean women appear in Cambodian gov't videos to ease fears

In a video posted by Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior on Tuesday, a Korean woman, left, says in Korean, “Unlike what is shown in the news, life in Cambodia is peaceful.” In another video uploaded the next day, a different Korean woman, right, explains a fundraising campaign encouraging Korean residents in Cambodia to help locals affected by border conflicts. Captured from Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior social media

Amid growing concern over a series of kidnapping and confinement cases involving Koreans in Cambodia, the country’s Ministry of Interior has released a social media video featuring a Korean woman praising Cambodia as a “peaceful and warm country.”

The Oct. 14 post, which includes a message stating that a Korean resident “wished to share her 13 years of life in Cambodia with Koreans and the world,” is seen as an attempt to ease rising fears among foreign residents following reports of crimes targeting Koreans.

In the video, the woman — who says she runs a cafe in Phnom Penh — speaks in Korean: “I’ve lived here for 13 years. Though recent news often highlights worrying stories about Cambodia, my daily life here is very different from that.”

She emphasizes that life in Cambodia is peaceful despite recent media portrayals. “Of course, challenges exist in any country, but for us Cambodia remains peaceful, and people’s hearts are warm. Living here makes me happy,” she says.

She adds, “The scenes in news reports aren’t the full picture. We live peacefully and with gratitude in Cambodia.”

On Oct. 15, the Interior Ministry posted another video featuring a different Korean woman. In the post, she called on Korean residents in Cambodia to support relief efforts for Cambodians affected by border tensions with Thailand.

The woman, who said she lives in Cambodia, added, “I love Cambodia, and I believe all Koreans living here are watching this difficult situation with worry.”

She announced a blood donation campaign and urged people to bring aid supplies to the Toul Kork market in Phnom Penh for Cambodians in need.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.