Ruling Party Launches Safety Measures Team for Overseas Nationals, Rapid Dispatch to Cambodia
The government on the 15th will dispatch an interagency response team to Cambodia in connection with employment scams and kidnapping incidents involving South Korean nationals. The government also plans to enhance the travel advisories for Cambodia. In addition, the Democratic Party has launched the Overseas Nationals Safety Measures Team, headed by Chief Commissioner Kim Byung-joo, and will send it to the region immediately.
According to the government, an interagency response team led by Kim Jin-ah, the second vice minister of the Foreign Affairs Department, will depart for Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The response team includes officials from various relevant departments such as the National Police Agency, Ministry of Justice, and the National Intelligence Service.
The interagency response team is expected to discuss cooperation with Cambodian authorities on the investigation of a torture death case of a Korean university student from August, as well as procedures for autopsies and the transportation of the deceased. They are also anticipated to negotiate repatriation procedures for South Koreans detained during the Cambodian authorities’ crackdown on online scams in July and September. It is reported that during the crackdown, individuals were detained for about two months before being deported. Currently, about 63 remain detained.
A Foreign Affairs representative stated, “The detained Koreans were apprehended due to their involvement in online scams and are slated for deportation, but they refuse consular assistance or repatriation. We are working closely with the police to ensure their swift return to South Korea.”
Furthermore, the government plans to upgrade travel warnings for Cambodia soon. Currently, due to employment scams, kidnappings, and Thai-Cambodian border disputes, special travel advisories (Level 2.5) are in effect for 11 areas including Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. An increase in travel warnings could escalate it to Level 3 (Red Alert) or Level 4 (Black Alert), recommending departure or prohibiting travel, respectively. This is significant given that around 10,000 Korean expatriates reside there and nearly 200,000 tourists visit annually.
Considering the current vacancy of the Cambodian ambassador position, the government is reportedly dispatching Park Il, the former Ambassador to Lebanon, to manage embassy affairs.
Meanwhile, both the ruling and opposition parties are urging swift measures considering the gravity of the situation. Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae, who decided on the dispatch of the safety measures team, stated, “What is urgent now is the rapid rescue of the affected nationals. We will thoroughly investigate overseas job scam cases and actively support simplified reporting procedures and strengthened cooperation among the Foreign Affairs Ministry, police, and local security authorities.”
Song Eon-seok, floor leader of the People’s Power Party, also commented on KBS Radio, “International criminal organizations have been establishing crime hubs in Cambodia since last year, which is a structural issue. The ambassador, Foreign Affairs Minister, and the President need to address this.”