SCMP - South Korean student kidnapped, tortured to death while on holiday in Cambodia

[fartking]

A 22-year-old South Korean college student who travelled to Cambodia during the summer holiday was found dead two weeks after his departure, reportedly after being kidnapped and tortured by a local crime group. Authorities said the student died of cardiac arrest caused by severe torture.
According to police and family members, the student, identified only by his surname A, left his home in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang province on July 17, telling his family he was going to attend an exhibition in Cambodia.


About a week later, his family received a phone call from a man speaking with a Chinese Korean accent, saying, “A caused trouble here and has been detained. Send 50 million won (US$35,000) and we’ll release him.”


The family immediately contacted the Cambodian embassy and local police, but could not determine where he was being held. Communication with the kidnappers was cut off after four days.

Two weeks later, on August 8, A’s body was found near Bokor Mountain in Kampot province, where he had been held captive. The Cambodian embassy and local authorities confirmed that the cause of death was cardiac arrest resulting from torture and extreme pain.

Despite the confirmation, A’s body has not yet been returned to South Korea. Due to local autopsy and cremation procedures, repatriation is expected later this month.
“The death certificate says he died of cardiac arrest caused by torture. Imagining his suffering keeps us awake at night,” a family member said. “He still hasn’t come home – his body remains in a freezer in Cambodia. It feels like he’s being killed twice.”

Cases of South Korean kidnappings in Cambodia have surged in recent years. Reports jumped from about 10 to 20 annually between 2022 and 2023 to 220 last year and 330 as of August this year.

With growing concerns over the safety of South Korean nationals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued travel warnings on September 17, raising Phnom Penh to Level 2 (reconsider travel) and placing special advisories for high-risk areas including Sihanoukville, Bokor Mountain and Bavet at Level 2.5.

This story was first published by The Korea Times

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[TOKARA]

Soon we be importing these pple into the country

 

[Akky85]

I say 1 more time, if for leisure, no reason to be holidaying in the SEA region, be it Malaysia Thailand whatever. Under SEA umbrella all no reason to go.

Esp when tons of their ppl are coming in and bringing their culture along.

 

[XiaoJinLing]

Wait die there the organs taken i think

 

[xdivider]

likely body/organs got used for spare parts so cannot return.........

 

[Krabs.]

developed countries should just ban their citizens from going a handful of "hot" countries

 

[deathan9el]

why out of a sudden this part of the country have turned vicious, out of nowhere

 

[mryongtan]

I say 1 more time, if for leisure, no reason to be holidaying in the SEA region, be it Malaysia Thailand whatever. Under SEA umbrella all no reason to go.

Esp when tons of their ppl are coming in and bringing their culture along.

just go to 1st world countries. no S.E.A, South America, Middle East & Africa.

 

[Ayuready?]

Why don’t the rest of the civilised world pool their special forces (e.g. SEALs, SAS, Delta) and take out these criminal syndicates with surgical strikes? Don’t need to care about sovereignty since these countries are run by lawless despots anyway

 

[mryongtan]

Why don’t the rest of the civilised world pool their special forces (e.g. SEALs, SAS, Delta) and take out these criminal syndicates with surgical strikes? Don’t need to care about sovereignty since these countries are run by lawless despots anyway

developed nations need to ensure those countries remain poor/uncivilised so the 1st world countries may thrive.

 

[Akky85]

Why don’t the rest of the civilised world pool their special forces (e.g. SEALs, SAS, Delta) and take out these criminal syndicates with surgical strikes? Don’t need to care about sovereignty since these countries are run by lawless despots anyway

Becuz other nations can use this as an excuse to deal with you.

Oh u are a lawless heretic yourself who gave u the rights to decide etc etc.

Then ppl will gang up and form a strike team but this time round, come to your nation.

The only change is if they are the communist side or they are the democratic side.

 

[Mechafanboy]

why out of a sudden this part of the country have turned vicious, out of nowhere

It has always been vicious. Khmer Rogue was dissolved quite recently. Replaced one rogue party with another rogue entity, it seems.

Never understood the appeal of Cambodia. A few years ago, a South Korean influencer died in Cambodia after her beauty surgery went wrong... South Koreans have some kind of fascination with these lawless lands.

 

[the_dog]

"According to police and family members, the student, identified only by his surname A, left his home in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang province on July 17, telling his family he was going to attend an exhibition in Cambodia."

doesn't sound like he went for the usual kind of holiday. this kind must have been lured there

 

[obsceneK2]

Still got Singapore church organised outing to cambodia leh

 

[ApeTruelove]

I say 1 more time, if for leisure, no reason to be holidaying in the SEA region, be it Malaysia Thailand whatever. Under SEA umbrella all no reason to go.

Esp when tons of their ppl are coming in and bringing their culture along.

Is Singapore part of SEA?

 

[weiwuxian]

"Nothing beats a Jet2 holidays...."

 

[Akky85]

Is Singapore part of SEA?

Yes but Singaporeans dun have to go to other parts of SEA for their holidays, Singapore is homebase for Singaporeans but not for other nationality. There's literally no purpose at all.

If they want to come AS tourist, that's also their problem, esp when normal families comes and then complain back home SG is expensive. Not that we are not complaining either.

 

[SGbuibui]

The last few paragraph say 330 south Korean tio kidnap in Cambodia this year up to August? Wtf so jialat ah the situation there

 

[Dinoboyboy]

On a related news...

South Koreans Kidnapped in Cambodia Surge to 330, Prompting Warnings​

The number of kidnapping reports involving South Koreans in Cambodia has surged significantly. Even when victims’ families reported incidents to the police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they were ignored with responses such as “We need to know the exact location,” and were only rescued after a sitting lawmaker intervened.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others on the 10th, kidnapping reports involving South Koreans in Cambodia jumped sharply from 10–20 cases annually between 2022 and 2023 to 220 cases last year and 330 cases as of August this year.

The number of South Koreans arrested in Cambodia also rose from three in 2023 to 46 in 2024, reaching 144 in the first seven months of this year. During the same period, there were 252 cases of employment fraud and confinement. Most victims were reportedly kidnapped by criminal organizations after being deceived by promises of “high-income overseas employment.”

In August, a South Korean college student in their 20s who had left home to attend an exhibition in Cambodia was found dead after being tortured locally. In September, a South Korean man in his 50s was kidnapped and tortured on the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Local police arrested four Chinese nationals and one Cambodian suspect in connection with the kidnapping of the man in his 50s.

It was also revealed that a sitting lawmaker had to intervene to rescue South Koreans kidnapped in Cambodia after they were ignored by the police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Representative Park Chan-dae of the Democratic Party of Korea announced on his YouTube channel on the 2nd of last month that he had rescued a citizen kidnapped in Cambodia.

At the time, the victim’s father requested help from the police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but only received responses such as “We need to know the exact location” and “The victim must report it themselves.” He then called Representative Park Chan-dae’s office, where he had previously received a business card, explained the situation, and was able to receive assistance.

Representative Park stated, “It seems the victim’s father was one of my supporters,” and revealed that his office served as the control tower to resolve the case.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued special travel advisories for Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at Level 2 (refrain from travel), and for Sihanoukville, Bokor Mountain, and Bavet at Level 2.5, following growing concerns about South Koreans falling victim to crimes.

https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/othe...S&cvid=68e8c127fb814248b50cb7ad03ef7769&ei=20

 

[coolad74]

Stewpig pple many many…

still got many females travel to South East land alone .. how say u