Job hunt turns manhunt: Dozens of South Koreans missing in Cambodia amid job scam
South Korea is racing to trace dozens of its citizens still missing in Cambodia, amid mounting evidence that many were trapped in scam compounds after being promised lucrative overseas jobs.
Officials say around 80 South Koreans remain unaccounted for, part of a larger group of 330 who went missing or were allegedly held against their will in Cambodia this year.
The Foreign Ministry confirmed that it is still unable to verify the whereabouts of those 80 people and is comparing its records with police data to ensure accuracy. A team led by the second vice-foreign minister is being sent to Cambodia this week to coordinate search and rescue efforts with local authorities.
The disappearances mark a sharp escalation in cases involving South Koreans in Cambodia. Parliamentary data shows that only a handful of incidents were recorded in 2023, but the number surged tenfold in 2024 and grew even further this year.
Lawmakers say the majority of victims were misled by online job postings offering unusually high salaries, only to be coerced into fraudulent work after arrival.
Many victims are believed to have been taken to compounds run by organised criminal groups. Once inside, they are forced to run online scams targeting foreign victims, sometimes including fellow South Koreans. Those who refuse to cooperate are often subjected to violence, confinement, or extortion, according to officials familiar with the cases.
The issue drew national outrage after the death of a young South Korean student in Cambodia, who investigators say was kidnapped and tortured before he died. His case has fuelled demands for stronger government protection and more decisive action against criminal operations abroad.
President Lee Jae Myung has ordered urgent measures to safeguard citizens, describing the situation as deeply distressing and warning that the number of victims is “not small.” He told ministers that the government must act quickly to reunite families and prevent further incidents.
South Korean authorities say they are also seeking the release of about 60 nationals currently detained by Cambodian police and are believed to have been forced to participate in illegal schemes run by larger criminal networks.
In response, the Foreign Ministry is tightening travel restrictions to parts of Cambodia known for scam activity. Officials are also considering raising the country’s travel warning and urging job seekers to be wary of overseas offers that appear unusually generous.
The crisis comes amid a regional surge in online fraud operations, many of them based in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Thousands of people from across Asia have been trafficked into such compounds, where they are compelled to work under harsh conditions.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
