According to the police and the victim’s family, on October 10, the young man, identified only as A, left his home in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, on July 17, telling his family that he was going to Cambodia to attend an exhibition. Korea Times reported.
About a week later, the family received a phone call from a man speaking with a Chinese-Korean accent, demanding 50 million won (about $35,000) for A’s release. “A caused trouble here and is detained. Send the money and we will let him go,” he threatened the caller.
The family immediately contacted the Cambodian embassy and local authorities, but they were unable to determine A’s whereabouts. Contact with the kidnappers was broken only four days later.
On August 8, A’s body was discovered near Mount Bokor in Kampot province, the area where he was reportedly detained. The Cambodian embassy and local officials confirmed that the cause of death was cardiac arrest resulting from torture and extreme pain.
Despite confirming the cause of death, A’s remains have yet to be repatriated to South Korea. Due to local autopsy and cremation procedures, the family plans to bring him home only by the end of the month.
“My brother’s death certificate clearly states that he died of cardiac arrest caused by torture. Just thinking about the suffering he endured keeps us up at night. His body is still in cold storage in Cambodia. It seems like he is being killed again every day.” a relative said.
Cases of South Korean citizens abducted in Cambodia have increased in recent years. Official data shows that incidents have increased from 10-20 per year in 2022-2023, to 220 last year and already 330 cases recorded in August this year alone.
In response, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel advisory on September 17, raising Phnom Penh to Level 2 (reconsider travel) and applying a special Level 2.5 advisory for high-risk areas such as Sihanoukville, Bokor Mountain and Bavet.
Meanwhile, on October 9, People Power Party MP Na Kyung Won strongly criticized the Lee Jae Myung administration and the ruling Democratic Party, calling for immediate countermeasures against the wave of abductions of Korean citizens in Cambodia.
Sources: Znews, Nate
