Lured into an online scam network, an African man spent almost a year in Cambodia trying to go home

According to the state audit agency, the foreign ministry did not promptly raise the travel alert for Cambodia or take other necessary actions despite being aware of the escalating number of job scams targeting South Koreans in the Southeast Asian nation. The crimes had sparked public outrage in the previous year following the brutal torture and death of a South Korean college student by a Chinese scam ring in Cambodia.

This incident shed light on a series of similar cases where young South Koreans were lured to Cambodia with promises of lucrative jobs, only to be kidnapped and subjected to horrific treatment. The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) revealed that the foreign ministry learned about the situation in December 2023 through information provided by overseas diplomatic missions and private companies.

The crimes had become increasingly brutal, with South Koreans falling victim to kidnapping in Cambodia. Despite this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade repeatedly suggested to the foreign ministry in April and July 2024 that the travel alert for Cambodia be raised. However, the ministry declined to do so, claiming that the situation did not warrant such a response.