Korean Association in Cambodia urges Foreign Ministry to lift travel advisory
Published: 28 Nov. 2025, 05:00
![A view of a fenced area on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Oct. 16. [LEE YOUNG-KEUN]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/28/b9ebf092-416c-4d15-8da7-6e2e7e25bbfe.jpg)
A view of a fenced area on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Oct. 16. [LEE YOUNG-KEUN]
The Korean Scholarship Association in Cambodia sent an official letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urging the government to lift its travel advisory to the Southeast Asian nation. Korean residents said that "90 percent of businesses in the travel and tourism sector have suspended operations or shut down since the Cambodia incident," referring to recent reports of Korean nationals subjected to kidnappings and torture in Cambodia.
Although November to February is Cambodia’s peak tourism season, the local Korean community said its livelihood has been devastated following the recent case in which a Korean university student was detained and killed in a criminal compound.
In the letter sent on Wednesday, the association said that “hundreds of cancellations for travel, study abroad programs and business trips have halted activity across tourism, trade and employment.”
The group added that the request was not a simple petition but a “desperate appeal for the survival of the Korean community.” More than 800 residents signed the letter.
Most parts of Cambodia are currently under a Level 2 alert advising travelers to reconsider their trips, while some areas remain restricted. The Foreign Ministry has maintained the heightened travel advisory issued at midnight on Oct. 16 following the student’s death.
![According to Cambodian media, this compound on the outskirts of Phnom Penh was used to conduct online scams. Approximately 48 people, including 33 Korean nationals, were arrested at this site by local authorities on Sept. 15 for their involvement in criminal operations. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/28/f3da1798-7991-4071-b556-dc528af329a4.jpg)
According to Cambodian media, this compound on the outskirts of Phnom Penh was used to conduct online scams. Approximately 48 people, including 33 Korean nationals, were arrested at this site by local authorities on Sept. 15 for their involvement in criminal operations. [NEWS1]
At the time, the ministry imposed a Level 4 alert banning travel to criminal compound zones in areas including Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province, and a Level 3 alert urging departure from Sihanoukville.
The livelihoods of Korean residents in Phnom Penh, which remains under a special advisory, and Siem Reap, which is under a Level 2 alert and home to Angkor Wat, have been hit particularly hard. Although Cambodia has entered its dry season, considered the most favorable time for tourism, Korean visitor numbers have sharply declined.
Lee Yong-hyuk, who has operated a travel agency in Siem Reap for 13 years, said charter flights from Incheon, Busan and Daegu have all been halted due to the drop in travelers. Airlines that planned to launch direct flights to Siem Reap next month — T’way Air, Air Busan and Sky Angkor Airlines — are instead considering redeploying aircraft to other Southeast Asian routes amid plummeting demand.
![An official letter from the Korean Scholarship Association in Cambodia to the Foreign Ministry on Nov. 26 urging the government to lift its travel advisory for Cambodia [KOREAN SCHOLARSHIP ASSOCIATION IN CAMBODIA]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/28/dd040d38-b54e-450f-83ab-263ed2565daa.jpg)
An official letter from the Korean Scholarship Association in Cambodia to the Foreign Ministry on Nov. 26 urging the government to lift its travel advisory for Cambodia [KOREAN SCHOLARSHIP ASSOCIATION IN CAMBODIA]
Suspensions and closures have spread beyond travel agencies to local guides, restaurants and related businesses. Lee said that “since 2022, flights between Incheon and Siem Reap were running full during the December to February peak season,” but that “this year, about 90 percent of tourism-related businesses have shut down or suspended operations.”
He added that many Koreans living in Cambodia have already left for Thailand, Vietnam or Laos in search of work.
Conditions in Phnom Penh are also worsening. Restaurant owner Lim Jong-won said that only two or three of his 13 dining rooms are currently in use. "Last year, daily revenue was 2,500 dollars. Now, many days don't even reach 700 dollars," he said.
![A cremation ceremony is held on Oct. 20 at Tuktla Temple in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for Park, a university student who died after being detained and tortured at an online scam compound in Bokor Mountain in August. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/28/72d52c18-96ce-4eb0-b582-6da20122444c.jpg)
A cremation ceremony is held on Oct. 20 at Tuktla Temple in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for Park, a university student who died after being detained and tortured at an online scam compound in Bokor Mountain in August. [NEWS1]
Lee Se-hyung, who has run a travel agency for a decade, said the sector is facing “serious damage,” as earning a year’s income during the peak season is essential for survival in Cambodia’s tourism industry.
More troubling, residents believe recovery will be slow. Even if the travel advisory is lowered, they say the perception in Korea that “Cambodia is dangerous” will likely last at least a year.
Jun Dae-sik, vice chairman of the council of Korean associations in Asia, said Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are more than 300 kilometers (186.4 miles) away from the border regions where criminal compounds are concentrated, and that rescue requests from Koreans have become extremely rare. He called for stronger government action to support the local Korean community.
![A criminal enclave in Cambodia is surrounded by barbed wire and high walls on Oct. 23. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/28/89def37b-82da-45b8-85e5-1f1d70b847a2.jpg)
A criminal enclave in Cambodia is surrounded by barbed wire and high walls on Oct. 23. [YONHAP]
The Korean government has already signaled that some travel advisories may soon be eased. After a summit with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Oct. 27, President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to review lowering the alert level for parts of Phnom Penh in light of measures such as the launch of a Korean task force in Cambodia.
“Public perception of Cambodia will not change overnight, but the travel advisory must be lowered as soon as possible,” said Jeong Myung-gyu, head of the Korean Scholarship Association in Cambodia.
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 MOON SANG-HYEOK [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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