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Korean police arrest suspected members of scam ring accused of killing university student in Cambodia

Published: 12 Oct. 2025, 15:43 Updated: 12 Oct. 2025, 20:01

Four Chinese nationals and one Cambodian are arrested for kidnapping a Korean man in his 50s in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

ANDONG, North Gyeongsang — Police in Korea arrested suspected members of a scam ring in Cambodia accused of brutally torturing to death a Korean university student after luring him to the Southeast Asian nation with false promises of work.

Police plan to question the recruiters to determine how the victim ended up leaving Korea. However, without cooperation from the Cambodian government and local police, the investigation risks becoming a peripheral probe into the recurring abductions of Koreans in Cambodia.

Authorities from Gyeongbuk Provincial Police said Sunday that the suspects recruited people in Korea to open bank accounts, which were then used to transfer money illegally in what are known as “mule accounts.” While their primary role was to secure accounts for financial scams, police believe the recruiters also lured victims abroad by promising high-paying jobs.

The suspects allegedly convinced 22-year-old Park, a native of Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang, to travel overseas by promising job opportunities. All suspects are Korean.

“These recruiters functioned more like freelancers rather than formal members of the criminal ring operating in Cambodia,” a police official said. “Cambodian authorities are leading the investigation into the incident there, while the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police are focused on how Park was enticed to leave Korea.”

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

Park departed for Cambodia on July 17, telling family members the trip was for an expo. However, his body was discovered on Aug. 8 near Bokor Mountain in Kampot, an area known for crimes targeting Koreans, including job scams and unlawful confinement.

A person who was confined with Park and later rescued said Park had been severely beaten and was unable to walk or breathe despite receiving treatment.

“I heard Park died in a car while being taken to a hospital near Bokor Mountain,” a witness said in a statement shared by Rep. Park Chan-dae of the Democratic Party.

Cambodian police cited “cardiac arrest caused by severe pain from torture” as the cause of death on the official death certificate.

During Park's captivity, the kidnappers called his family and demanded more than 50 million won ($35,000), claiming Park had caused a problem that needed to be resolved. The caller reportedly spoke with an ethnic Korean Chinese accent.

A Cambodian national flag is displayed during a groundbreaking ceremony of China-funded Funan Techo canal that will connect the country's capital Phnom Penh with Kep province on the country's south coast, Prek Takeo village, Kendal province, Cambodia on Aug. 5, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

Park’s remains have not yet been returned to Korea due to delays related to the autopsy and administrative procedures. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is working with Cambodian public security officials to complete the repatriation process, which is expected to take place later this month.

Cambodian authorities said on Friday that three Chinese nationals had been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the case. They are searching for two accomplices who remain on the run.

Police in Korea are expanding their investigation under the belief that Park may have had contact with the Korean recruiters before leaving Korea. But officials acknowledge that without greater cooperation from Cambodian authorities, it will be difficult to apprehend those directly responsible for the torture and killing.

[YONHAP]

Crimes targeting Korean nationals in Cambodia have sharply increased in recent years. The number of reported kidnappings rose from four in 2021 to 220 in 2024, according to data provided by the Foreign Ministry to Rep. Park. As of August this year, 330 cases had already been reported.

On Sept. 21, a Korean national in their 50s was kidnapped and tortured by four Chinese nationals and one Cambodian after exiting a cafe in Phnom Penh. In another case, a Korean office worker in their 40s went missing during a six-day trip to Phnom Penh and was later found in a coma.

In response to the growing threat, the Foreign Ministry raised the travel alert for Phnom Penh from Level 2 to a special travel warning, equivalent to Level 3.

“We urge anyone planning to travel to regions under special travel advisories to cancel or postpone nonessential trips,” a ministry official said. “We will continue closely monitoring the situation and consider additional adjustments to travel warnings to ensure the safety of Korean nationals.”

Korean police will also conduct a joint autopsy with Cambodian authorities to determine the exact cause of death of the student.

Authorities from Gyeongbuk Provincial Police said Sunday that they plan to carry out the autopsy later this month with Cambodian authorities. The forensic team will include officials from the National Forensic Service and the Korean branch of Interpol. Police are still coordinating the exact schedule with Cambodian counterparts.

A Cambodian National flag flutters above barbed wire set up by police near the Council of Ministers building while garment workers gather for a rally in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Dec. 30, 2013. [AP/YONHAP]

The student's body will be returned to Korea for funeral arrangements after the investigation concludes, police said.

Korean police requested a joint autopsy after saying that the initial findings were not sufficient to confirm the cause of death.

“We decided to proceed with a joint autopsy to determine the exact cause,” a police official said. “We are currently coordinating details with the Cambodian police.”

Police did not release additional details on the timeline of the investigation or whether they expect to conduct further forensic tests.

Update, Oct. 12: Info on the joint autopsy plan added.
Correction: Oct. 12: We mistakenly reported that four were arrested. The actual number of those arrested was not released.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JUNG-SEOK [[email protected]]