Home > National > Social Affairs

Korean who escaped Cambodian compound accuses Foreign Ministry of distorting assistance claims

Published: 21 Oct. 2025, 10:24 Updated: 21 Oct. 2025, 10:49

The Korean Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is seen in this screen capture from Yonhap News TV. [YONHAP NEWS TV]

A Korean national who escaped from a criminal compound in Cambodia has accused the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of distorting parts of its explanation after reports surfaced that the Korean Embassy in Phnom Penh turned the person away when help was sought.

According to the individual, who spoke with Yonhap on Monday, the person fled a compound in Sihanoukville in April and reached the Korean Embassy around 6 a.m. after a 12-hour journey.

The Korean national said embassy staff refused entry because it was before office hours, which start at 8 a.m. The individual had previously released phone recordings of calls with embassy staff to support the claim.

The ministry earlier claimed that the embassy instructed the individual to wait in a nearby guard post until business hours.

But the Korean national disputed that, saying "when I tried to enter the guard post, the local guard blocked me," meaning the embassy had not contacted the guard to allow entry, resulting in being forced outside the compound.

Fearing for safety, the individual said they hid in a convenience store in a nearby hotel, “buying small items every two minutes just to stay inside until the embassy opened.”

The individual also rejected the ministry’s claim that a consular officer met them before 8 a.m. and offered assistance.

“I was waiting since 6 a.m. but no one came early. The consul arrived exactly at 8 o'clock,” the Korean national said.

A government joint response team for the protection of overseas Koreans inspects areas in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Oct. 18 where Korean nationals have fallen victim to job fraud and confinement by criminal groups. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

Once inside the embassy, the individual was told that protection could not be provided there and was instead taken to a nearby guesthouse.

“They took me to a guesthouse not affiliated with the embassy,” the person said. “I stayed there until my flight, and the consul later drove me to the airport.”

The Korean national said they had traveled to Cambodia after being lured by false promises of a high-paying job but was instead detained inside a criminal operation. The individual managed to contact the embassy using a phone hidden in their clothes, but said officials demanded exact coordinates and photos before offering help.

The individual also expressed frustration that the embassy dismissed evidence collected during the ordeal. “I secretly wrote down the names, birthdates and car plate numbers of those who imprisoned me, but the embassy told me it was useless and that they couldn’t arrest anyone,” the individual said.

In response to the individual's account, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the embassy received a call at about 7 a.m. and advised the person to wait at the guard post. A consul then arrived before 8 a.m. to assist, the ministry said.

The ministry added that it would improve its system to ensure that consular assistance is available even outside regular working hours.

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 JI-HYE [[email protected]]