By:
• Teng Yalirozy

• November 3, 2024 , 4:00 PM

PHNOM PENH — In the past week, news of South Koreans allegedly being detained for illegal work in Cambodia has taken the public by storm, prompting an abrupt investigation and denials from the Cambodian authorities. Cambodians show fear of the country’s reputation being tarnished among South Koreans while analysts see this possibly affecting relations between the two countries as Cambodia attempts to talk the matter through with the Republic of Korea side.

South Korea’s national broadcast media KBS investigated in Cambodia in August 2024. On Oct. 22, they released a series of investigation reports on three scam compounds. The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) reported that the National Intelligence Service had found out that “kidnappings of Koreans are occurring not just for bank accounts but also to extract ransom from the beginning.”

KBS released footage showing detained victims being assaulted and tortured, the broadcast media reporting that this had been recorded in Southeast Asian and Cambodian complexes in Phnom Penh.

“They use their belt to hit people like that,” a victim reported to KBS. “They handcuff your hands and feet…They show this video and say, ‘You will be electrocuted like this too.’”

On Oct. 23, KBS reported  that a Korean man kidnapped in the Prince Complex had been released after paying a ransom, accusing a Cambodian of conspiring with the local police, impeding rescue and reporting.

“The ones who kidnapped me came to the police station with my passport and belongings,” the man said in the interview with KBS. “The police chief in Cambodia told me not to talk about what happened here when I go back to Korea.”

Victims who have escaped scam organization compounds are hesitant to report it due to concerns about potential criminal involvement, reported KBS.

On the day following the broadcast, National Police spokesperson Sar Thet denied KBS' claim that Korean citizens were victims of illegal detention and arrest in Cambodia, launching an immediate investigation.

According to Thet, a Korean woman on Aug. 5 claimed to have lost contact with her husband working at the Icon Building in Sen Sok district in Phnom Penh. No kidnapping or illegal detention was found at the location mentioned in the report, he said. The man was handed over to the General Department of Immigration for further questioning and sent back to South Korea.

After KBS revealed kidnappings, torture, and cyber fraud at the Mango compound, Cambodian police requested assistance from the South Korean Embassy to investigate the crime compound's locations.

The head of South Korea’s National Office of Investigation is set to visit Cambodia in November to enhance cooperation with the Cambodian police, KBS said.

Constant Scam Crackdown

While the news had been a hot topic, more than 1,000 foreigners, mostly Chinese, were arrested in a raid on Oct.  24 at a casino in Kampong Speu province’s Ang Porpel commune in Kong Pisei district. Following what was a large-scale crackdown , the authorities suspect torture was conducted at the site.

On Oct. 29, a South Korean man was reported to be in detention in Kandal province for working illegally. The National Police reported finding no detention, torture or illicit labor force as reported by his mother.

The police on Nov. 1 said that the man named Choi Taewon was in good living conditions with enough food and freedom to walk around, and that he had not been in contact with his mother. He did not cooperate with the police as to his traveling to the country, job hunting and contact with his family, the police reported.

According to government spokesperson Pen Bona, Cambodia is also a victim of online fraud as scammers use the country as a location for their illegal activities. “However, our officials are putting a lot of effort into stopping this issue,” he said. “The authorities will act right away as long as there is a complaint or information. As a result, everyone's cooperation is crucial.”

The past 10 years have seen Southeast Asia grow into a major breeding ground for transnational criminal networks, most of which derive from China, according to a report, “Transnational Crime in Southeast Asia: A Growing Threat to Global Peace and Security,” by the United States Institute of Peace.  

Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are the central points of the regional scamming industry, although most countries in the region contribute to the scamming industry, facilitating illegal labor trafficking, providing financial support, and aiding in the development of advanced digital technology for sophisticated gambling and financial fraud, the report stated.

Relationship Hampered, but Efforts Made to Maintain Them

Seng Vanly, an international relations observer in the Asia Pacific, said that the KBS news reports on illegal work detention in Cambodia were not surprising as it was not the first time that an international outlet reported on scams in the country.

This could lead to a loss of international reputation due to human trafficking and online scams, he said. These issues have seen an increase after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the government has been criticized for not adequately addressing the issues, he added.

“The relationship between Cambodia and South Korea may be impacted due to South Korea's significant contributions to development, trade and economic cooperation,” Vanly said.

According to the Global Organized Crime Index, people became more vulnerable to exploitation for forced criminality as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which expanded the doorway to human trafficking.

“During the pandemic, illegal online gambling and operations for forced criminality have increased, creating a new human trafficking and forced labor crisis,” reported the index. “Tens of thousands of local and foreign workers have been tricked into working for these scams and are held against their will.”

Ek Bunly, a research fellow at the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies, said that the KBS report is concerning as it reaches viewers personally, causing fear and mistrust towards Cambodia.

“When the news was freshly broken out, the report impacted Cambodia’s reputation so that some Cambodian workers in South Korea were often asked by their Korean colleagues about the matter,” he said.

According to Vanly, the issues could prevent South Korean investors from considering Cambodia while the tourism sector may be hard to restore.

“Bad reputation, government’s denial and ineffective measures can severely impact the tourism sector, making it difficult to restore and causing visitors to hesitate due to security concerns,” he said.

And yet, Cambodia and South Korea’s swift intervention and assessment may have “diluted” anxiety since Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism data show no drop in South Korean tourists visiting Cambodia, Vanly said.

According to the ministry, 144, 293 South Korean tourists visited Cambodia during the first nine months of this year, which represented an increase of 14.8 percent compared to the same period in 2023. The ministry expects to welcome about 7 million international tourists in 2024.

“For the time being, the report would not affect Cambodia – South Korea relations, on the diplomatic and trade scale, as the case was swiftly looked into and clarified by the Cambodian authorities with concrete evidence,” Bunly said.

On Oct. 25, the two countries held the first-ever Cambodia-Korea Public-Private Sector Dialogue, with the participation of some 20 government ministries and institutions and numerous representatives of the private sector.

On Oct. 31, the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism met with Republic of Korea and private sector representatives to address concerns over illegal detention and coercion in Cambodia following the KBS report.

Tourism Minister Huot Hak emphasized Cambodia's commitment to combating crime, while the Korean Association emphasized the safety and harmony of Korean residents and businesses in Cambodia, urging Koreans to visit with peace of mind.

According to Vanly, efforts to deal with scamming and trafficking issues in Cambodia could be blocked by corruption as the law would not be properly enforced if cases involved higher-ranking officials.

Denying evidence-based reports, such as the Ly Yong Phat case, may indicate ineffective work on such matters, he said.

Pa Chanroeun, president of the Cambodian Institute for Democracy, said that relations between Cambodia and South Korea could be hindered, but that the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Interior Ministry and the Korean Embassy must work hand in hand.

Government spokesperson Pen Bona said that the authorities of the two nations would work together to allay any concerns brought up following KBS’s reports. The government of Cambodia is resolute in its efforts to combat this problem, he said.

“We urge the media to avoid exaggerating or distorting old stories to slander Cambodia while adhering to professional ethics,” Bona said.

Ek Bunly pointed out that actively addressing human trafficking allegations is crucial for Cambodia's image, but it requires quick communication between the Cambodian and South Korean authorities for future consultation and action.

“Going forward, both the Cambodian and the Korean authorities need to have a communication channel for quick consultation and action should cases like this emerge again,” he said.