SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) - Statistics suggest that more South Koreans are involved in scam frauds and phishing schemes in Cambodia than previously estimated.
According to data from the Ministry of Justice submitted to lawmaker Park Chan-dae of the ruling Democratic Party and revealed on Monday, the number of South Koreans who traveled to Cambodia but did not return has risen sharply in recent years. The figure was 113 in 2021, but surged to a whopping 3,209 in 2022, 2,662 in 2023, and 3,248 in 2024. As of August this year, 864 had not returned.
The number of travelers to the Southeast Asian country surged from 5,476 in 2021 to 108,820 in 2024. In the first eight months of this year, 67,609 have traveled there.
It is also believed that many people may have entered Phnom Penh via neighboring countries such as Thailand and Viet Nam, which are not reflected in local official statistics. Supporting this, Cambodia's immigration data shows higher numbers, with 60,740 South Koreans entering in 2022 and 192,305 in 2024.
For this reason, experts suggest the actual number involved in scam-related crimes may far exceed the estimated 1,000, as some enter Cambodia illegally via China.
Emerging evidence and testimony from witnesses indicate that far more South Koreans may have faced detention, violence, and organ trafficking than officially reported.
Park emphasized the need for a thorough review of travel records and consular data to tackle the issue.
Meanwhile, police are seeking arrest warrants for 59 of the 64 suspects who were detained in Cambodia over alleged online job scams and other crimes and brought home last Saturday. Four were released, and one was denied an arrest warrant by prosecutors.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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