South Korea, Cambodia strengthen cooperation in combating online fraud, illegal detention

By VNA October 13, 2025 | 10:08 pm PT

South Korea and Cambodia have held talks on enhancing consular support and investigative capacity to combat crimes targeting Korean citizens, said the South Korea 's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The talks took place in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh on Oct. 12 after a Korean student was reported to have died from torture related to online fraud in Cambodia.

According to the ministry, Seoul has held diplomatic consultations with Phnom Penh to increase the number of police officers assigned to the Korean Embassy in Cambodia and to set up a Korean desk within a Cambodian police station to handle cases involving Korean nationals.

Suspects in the kidnapping of a Korean man are held in Cambodia, on Sept. 23, 2025. Photo courtesy of Cambodian police

Currently, the South Korean Embassy in Phnom Penh has one police officer and two police liaison officers assigned to coordinate cooperation. The Korean side believes this number is insufficient to address the recent surge in crimes such as job scams and illegal detention.

According to earlier reports, a university student from the RoK was allegedly tortured to death after traveling to Cambodia to attend an exhibition on July 17. The incident has shocked the Korean public and sparked calls for stronger police cooperation to better protect victims.

South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun on Oct. 10 summoned the Cambodian Ambassador to Seoul to express deep concern over the incident and urged the Cambodian government to take stronger measures against the growing number of online scams and illegal detentions targeting Korean citizens. In addition, the ministry upgraded its travel advisory for Phnom Penh from Level 2, which advises travelers to exercise caution, to Level 2.5 - a special travel warning.