[An image of a scam. Photo credit: Pixabay]

The 22-year-old Park Min Ho was found dead in northern Kampot earlier in August, with reports indicating signs of torture that are suspected to have been the cause of his death.

Since August, there have continuously been more reports of multiple different South Korean citizens experiencing kidnapping or scam crimes within Cambodia. 

South Korean students and young adults have allegedly experienced struggles and torture through being involved in a Cambodian scam that specifically targeted these young Koreans. 

This case was sparked into consideration after a college student was reported to be dead in Cambodia.

The primary reason behind this tragedy is mainly known to be due to the increasing scam agencies and centers that are widely spreading in Cambodia.

These scam centers operate predominantly online, though different platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and many other platforms, making it very easily accessible to many young citizens.

The scams weren’t just limited to digital financial fraud, but there were those who were involved in digital sexual abuse or illegal website administration. 

Additionally, the victims testified to having been physically and mentally abused, and their passports were also taken away, so that they cannot escape out of  the condition. 

The South Koreans were particularly affected by this spread, as many of them fell victim to the scam, including false recruitment notices, which led them to being forced to be part of the scam. 

The scammers used terms such as “high paying price” to lure these people in, but in reality, there has been testimonies that all they did was experiencing violations of rights, such as physical abuse and confinement. 

Out of those who were impacted by this scam, many were in their middle or early twenties, college students, or those who ended their military service term and were preparing to get a job. 

To date, not a single Korean citizen has been rescued through this incident, and there are suspicions of many of them being kidnapped. 

Due to these continuous incidents occurring to Korean citizens relating to Cambodia and its scammers, the two countries have agreed to work on this case together so that there are no more cases such as this. 

They have created a joint task force specifically focusing on the crime searches for these cases, done by the public safety officers in both countries, together. 

The Korean government had issued warnings to prevent further impact on their citizens by restricting visits or travels to certain areas of Cambodia, such as Kampot or the Bokor Mountain. 

Those who were involved in the crimes with a Korean nationality are currently being held in custody or examined to find any other possible evidence that they could use. 

The South Korean government is criticizing the Korean ambassador offices in Cambodia, stating that their response to this incident was not sufficient. 

The Cambodian government has vowed to implement stronger control and scrutiny over these scam crimes, expressing regret towards what has happened with the South Korean citizens, but there are still criticisms regarding the country and the case. 

Both governments are currently taking appropriate steps in order to prevent this from happening further, and to bring out the truth behind what has happened.