Police investigate rising cases of missing individuals linked to Cambodia trips
Published: 14 Oct. 2025, 11:17
![A logo of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/14/401c52ed-c8a4-43e1-8da8-6efe22c81495.jpg)
A logo of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Missing persons reports of Koreans who have disappeared after traveling to Cambodia in recent months have been continuing across the country, leading to nationwide police investigations into potential cases of abduction and detention by criminal groups.
In Yeosu, South Jeolla, a man in his 30s lost contact with his family in May after saying he was going to Cambodia "to work with an acquaintance." His family reported him missing in June. Police have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to verify his whereabouts through its overseas network, but his location remains unknown.
In Gwangju, three men in their 20s have also gone out of contact after leaving the country. Police say one of them flew to Thailand in June. Afterward, a phone call from an unfamiliar number reportedly featured the man’s voice pleading for help, raising suspicions of kidnapping. Another man traveled to Cambodia in December and stopped communicating with his family in January. A third case was reported to Bukbu Police Precinct in April after a man who left for Cambodia earlier that month went missing.
In South Gyeongsang, similar cases have been reported. A man from Haman who left for Cambodia on Sept. 3 has not been heard from since Friday. Two more men, from Changwon and Gimhae, respectively, are also out of contact. Police in the province have received 11 missing person reports this year related to travel to Cambodia. Seven of those individuals have been located, while investigations continue for the remaining four.
According to police, some victims have been detained by criminal groups operating in the region. On July 26, a man and woman in their 20s flew to Cambodia after being promised high-paying part-time work. Once there, they were stripped of their passports and mobile phones and held against their will. Their families paid a ransom of 16 million won ($11,000) in cryptocurrency to secure their release.
In a separate case on July 17, another man in his 20s traveled to Cambodia on the promise of a casino job. He was detained but managed to escape and return to Korea.
Authorities are working with diplomatic personnel at the Korean Embassy in Cambodia to locate the missing individuals and are investigating potential links to local organized crime.
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 BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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