1. High-Profile Case: Death of South Korean Student
- In August 2025, Park Min-ho, a 22-year-old South Korean student, was found dead in a pickup truck near Bokor Mountain, Kampot Province.
He was allegedly kidnapped and tortured.
👉 AP News – Cambodia pledges to work with South Korea after the death of a kidnapped student - Cambodian police charged three Chinese nationals with murder and online fraud linked to the case.
👉 AP News - A ransom of $35,000 USD was reportedly demanded before contact with the victim ceased.
👉 AP News
2. Government & Diplomatic Response
- Cambodia’s Interior Ministry pledged cooperation with South Korea regarding the case.
👉 AP News - South Korea issued travel bans and warnings for high-risk regions such as Bokor, Bavet, and Poipet.
👉 The Guardian – South Korea bans travel to parts of Cambodia amid deepening scam crisis - On October 10, 2025, South Korea summoned the Cambodian ambassador to protest against job-scam-linked kidnappings targeting Koreans.
👉 Reuters – South Korea summons Cambodian ambassador over job scams - Korean authorities also plan a joint autopsy with Cambodian officials to confirm the cause of death.
👉 Korea Times – Police seek joint autopsy on Korean student who died after alleged torture in Cambodia
3. Rise in Kidnapping & Scam Reports
- By August 2025, reports indicated around 330 cases of Koreans kidnapped or detained in Cambodia.
👉 Channel News Asia - Some suspects connected to the Park Min-ho case have been arrested in Korea.
👉 Korea JoongAng Daily – Suspects arrested - Reports also allege that a university senior (surname Hong) introduced Park to the scam network.
👉 Korea JoongAng Daily – University senior linked to case
4. Scam Compounds & Modus Operandi
- Cambodia hosts several “scam centers” where victims are lured with fake job offers and forced to conduct online fraud operations.
👉 Wikipedia – Scam centers in Cambodia - Victims are often stripped of passports, confined, and subjected to violence or threats.
👉 Wikipedia – Scam centers in Cambodia