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Two Koreans rescued after months of forced labor and torture in Cambodia

Published: 11 Oct. 2025, 18:17 Updated: 13 Oct. 2025, 16:16

WOO JI-WON
woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr

Suspected cybercrime compounds in the coastal city of Sihanoukville, Cambodia [REUTERS]

Two Korean nationals who were allegedly detained, tortured and forced to take part in criminal operations in Cambodia were rescued with assistance from Democratic Party lawmaker Park Chan-dae.

According to Yonhap News Agency on Saturday, the two men, identified here as Kim and Lee, had been locked up for months before managing to escape on Oct. 2 with help from the lawmaker's office.

Kim reportedly traveled to Cambodia after seeing an online job posting for IT-related work that promised high monthly earnings of between 8 million ($5,800) and 15 million won, along with private hotel accommodation and meals.

Though initially skeptical, Kim agreed to go after recruiters offered to cover airfare and assumed he could return home if the job proved unsuitable.

Upon arrival, however, Kim realized he had been taken to an illegal compound where he was ordered to carry out voice phishing schemes while impersonating government officials. Any refusal, he said, was met with threats of violence.

“When I said I couldn’t do the work, a Korean Chinese man entered holding a stun gun, handed me a script and said, ‘If you don’t do it, you’ll be tortured every day,’” Kim told Yonhap.

He was later transferred to another site in Poipet, a Cambodian city bordering Thailand, where he said he endured about 100 days of abuse.

Lee, who was held in the same room as Kim, managed to send a distress message via Telegram. Local police came once, but the escape failed after the captors discovered the attempt.

The two were then taken back to Sihanoukville, kept in handcuffs during forced labor and even while resting and were told they would only be released after generating 1 billion won in illegal proceeds.

Following another plea for help from Kim, Cambodian police finally raided the hotel where they were being held and arrested Chinese and Korean Chinese overseers, ending approximately 160 days of captivity.

Kim and Lee are now under investigation by Cambodian authorities and preparing to return to Korea.

Kim reportedly said more Koreans remain captive and are still waiting to be rescued, including three who were held in a nearby room.

Lawmaker Park's office said it began pursuing the case after receiving a plea from Lee's mother in early September and has since coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and consular officials.

Data submitted by the ministry to Park's office showed that between January and August this year, there were 330 reports of Koreans in Cambodia being confined after falling victim to employment scams.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]