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Fugitive Namyang Dairy heiress reportedly living in Cambodia

Published: 15 Oct. 2025, 15:41

This picture shows Hwang Hana, the granddaughter of the founder of Namyang Dairy Products. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Hwang Hana, the granddaughter of the founder of Namyang Dairy Products and a fugitive under an Interpol red notice, is reportedly living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia — a city where crimes targeting Koreans have surged in recent months.

According to a report by Ilyo Sisa on Oct. 6, Hwang resides in a luxury complex in the Cambodian capital. She fled to Thailand while under investigation for drug use and remains wanted for arrest and extradition under the Interpol notice.

Hwang, who previously stayed in Thailand, recently moved to Cambodia. She became widely known in 2017 as the fiancée of singer-actor Park Yoo-chun. The couple later separated after allegations of drug use surfaced, and both faced related investigations.

Criminal groups in Cambodia continue to target Koreans through job scams and abductions. The Korean National Police and Ministry of Foreign Affairs said groups — composed mainly of Chinese nationals or ethnic Koreans in China — lure Koreans with offers of high-paying jobs, courier work or romantic relationships before detaining them and forcing them to participate in voice phishing schemes.

Victims who escaped said the groups took their passports and assaulted them when they failed to meet financial quotas. Some reported electric shocks and human trafficking inside the compounds.

The Korean government issued a special travel advisory for Phnom Penh on Friday. The Foreign Ministry had earlier urged travelers to avoid the city or, if already there, to consider relocation or evacuation.

Reported abductions of Koreans in Cambodia rose from about 10 to 20 cases a year in 2022–2023 to 220 in 2024 and 330 as of August 2025, according to the ministry.

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 SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]