**Ministry of Interior Spokesperson: “Scams Targeting Koreans Not Exceptional; Some Countries Experience More Serious Crimes”**
The Cambodian Ministry of Interior recently released videos showing Korean women saying, “Cambodia is peaceful and living here makes us happy.” This move seems to be in response to the recent incidents of kidnapping and confinement targeting Koreans in Cambodia, which have negatively impacted the country’s image.
On the 14th, the Cambodian Ministry of Interior uploaded two videos on social media featuring two Korean women. In these videos, Hwang Hu-In, who introduced herself as having lived in Cambodia for 13 years and running a cafe in Phnom Penh, said, “I’ve been living here for 13 years now. Although recent news often carries worrisome stories about Cambodia, the reality I face every day is quite different.”
She continued, “Cambodians are truly pure and warm-hearted people. At our cafe, we laugh, work, and dream together with our local staff.” Hwang added, “Of course, every country has its challenges, but for us, Cambodia remains peaceful, and the warmth in people’s hearts is abundant. That’s why I’m genuinely happy and content living here.”
She further stated, “What you see in the news is not the whole picture of this country. We live peacefully and gratefully in Cambodia.”
In another video uploaded on the 15th, a Korean woman introduced herself as ‘Myrl Go-Gae, active in Cambodia,’ and shared her efforts to inform Koreans living in Cambodia about fundraising activities to aid Cambodians affected by the border dispute with Thailand. She said, “I believe all Koreans living here love Cambodia and are concerned about the current situation due to the conflict and damages. To help Cambodians struggling in the conflict areas, you can bring donated items like bottled water and daily necessities to the market.”
On the 13th, the Cambodian Ministry of Interior issued a statement emphasizing the need for strengthened international cooperation to effectively eradicate these global crimes and criticized emotional responses or blaming other countries as giving criminals the opportunity to continue their offenses.
In an interview with the Phnom Penh Post, Ministry of Interior spokesperson Tuy Sokhak stated, “Online scams targeting Koreans are not exceptional and some countries actually experience more serious crimes.”
Sem Sokhaeng, chairman of the Cambodia Korean Tour Guide Association, told the Phnom Penh Post, “Cambodia is not a dangerous country for general visitors, especially Korean tourists. The recent incidents are all related to individuals involved with scam organizations.” He expressed regret that Korean leaders failed to distinguish between scam incidents and tourism.