Suspected ringleader in murder of Korean student in Cambodia arrested
Published: 28 Nov. 2025, 17:34
![Cambodian police officers leave Tuek Thla Pagoda in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Oct. 20, after completing an autopsy and cremation of the body of a Korean university student surnamed Park who was tortured to death while being held captive in Cambodia. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/28/d4a14e86-3155-4807-96af-80110d0769c4.jpg)
Cambodian police officers leave Tuek Thla Pagoda in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Oct. 20, after completing an autopsy and cremation of the body of a Korean university student surnamed Park who was tortured to death while being held captive in Cambodia. [NEWS1]
The alleged ringleader behind the brutal torture and murder of a Korean university student in Cambodia has been arrested, diplomatic sources confirmed Friday.
The suspect, identified only by the surname Li, a Chinese national of Korean descent, was taken into custody by Cambodian authorities early Thursday morning at a restaurant in Phnom Penh, according to sources familiar with the matter. The arrest was made on charges including murder.
The Korean Embassy in Cambodia was officially notified of the arrest and is now reviewing possible options for Li’s extradition to Korea.
Li is accused of abducting and torturing a Korean student, surnamed Park, at a criminal compound near Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province in August.
Park had flown to Cambodia in mid-July, telling his family he was attending an expo, but is believed to have been kidnapped by a so-called “Wenchi” criminal syndicate and subjected to nearly a month of abuse.
His body was discovered on Oct. 8 in an abandoned vehicle near the compound. Cambodian prosecutors had already indicted three Chinese nationals in connection with the case.
Park’s remains were cremated at a Buddhist temple in Phnom Penh on Oct. 20 and later returned to his family, more than two months after his death.
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 JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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