The latest episode of the SBS investigative programme Unanswered questions shed light on the grim reality of Korea-targeted kidnapping and human trafficking crimes in Cambodia – and the disturbing mindset of the perpetrators behind them.
The October 16 broadcast, titled “Cambodian Crime City: 88 Days of Pursuit,” followed the show’s production team as they tracked the operations of crime syndicates that lured Koreans abroad under the guise of “high-paying part-time jobs.”
The victims were allegedly kidnapped, confined, beaten and sold after being deceived by fake job adverts and transported to Wenchi, Cambodia, a hub of illegal online scams.
A survivor, identified as Seo Ho-jung (alias), told the programme: “It’s horrible. Koreans are deceiving and selling other Koreans. I can’t believe it.”
During the course of the investigation, the Unanswered questions the team managed to confront a local gang member known as “Nami”.
When asked about her role, Nami said: “Honestly, I was just in contact with someone. I got the contact via Telegram. They told me to call immediately if I saw anyone suspicious: someone wearing jeans, a T-shirt and hiking boots, like a typical police outfit.”
Incredibly, Nami continued to justify the abductions, saying: “I don’t like torture or kidnapping, but they brought it on themselves. Let’s be honest: Nobody forced them to come here. They came on their own, trying to make money through illegal work. Who can they blame? If they hadn’t come, none of this would have happened.”
His comments sparked outrage from viewers and online communities, who condemned his lack of remorse and dehumanizing attitude towards victims.
The episode also revisited previous Cambodian crime cases involving Korean citizens, including the July 2025 incident in which a Korean university student was found dead, and the 2023 unsolved murder of BJ Ah-young, whose body was discovered wrapped in red cloth in a ditch near Kandal province, near Phnom Penh.
Despite international attention, a full resolution has not been reached in many of these cases, exacerbating public concern about Korean human trafficking networks in Southeast Asia.
Unanswered questions pledged to continue investigating cross-border criminal operations, aiming to expose how Telegram-based recruitment scams and organized trafficking networks target financially vulnerable young Koreans.
Sources: Nate News
