Why South Korean tourists are shunning Southeast Asia

A man surnamed Son told the Korea JoongAng Daily that he had just canceled a December golf trip with friends to Phnom Penh.

"It’s a waste to lose the cancellation fee but I just can’t bring myself to go to Cambodia right now."

Departures from South Korea to Southeast Asian countries fell by 7.25% in October, with Cambodia experiencing the steepest decline, The Korea Herald reported.

Cambodia saw a 15.4% decrease from 13,727 in September to 11,613 in October.

Concerns intensified last month after a Korean university student visiting Phnom Penh for a summer employment fair was reportedly tortured and killed by a local criminal organization, Reuters reported.

His death has fueled widespread fear among South Koreans, prompting the government to take urgent steps to protect citizens from the escalating scam crisis.

The impact is now spreading beyond Cambodia.

The Philippines and Thailand also received fewer South Korean visitors in October, with numbers down 18.9% to 120,175 and 5% to 157,402.

A netizen wrote on Korean media: "I’m supposed to go to Laos in January, but now I’m really anxious since so many people are canceling."

Major travel agencies are also voicing concern over the growing anxiety about Southeast Asia.

"So far we haven’t seen a significant drop in bookings for destinations other than Cambodia," one travel company representative said.

"But we’re monitoring the situation closely."

In a poll conducted Oct. 21 by Realmeter, 82.4% of South Korean respondents said recent crimes in Cambodia had influenced their view of travel to Southeast Asia.

The figure rose to 88.3% among people in their 20s.