73 South Koreans Repatriated from Cambodia Over Alleged Online Scams

SEOUL: Seventy-three South Koreans suspected of running online scams in Cambodia were returned to South Korea on Friday, marking the largest repatriation of Korean criminal suspects from abroad to date.

According to the South Korean government, the suspects, 65 men and eight women, are accused of defrauding fellow Koreans out of 48.6 billion won (US$33 million). Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport aboard a chartered plane, the suspects were taken to police stations in handcuffs, escorted by law enforcement officers.

The suspects are part of a larger crackdown in Cambodia that detained approximately 260 South Koreans over recent months. Among those repatriated was a couple accused of running a deepfake romance scam, allegedly tricking about 100 victims out of 12 billion won (US$8.2 million) through fraudulent investment schemes.

Senior police officer Yoo Seung Ryul told reporters at the airport, “When it comes to crimes that harm our people, we will track down and arrest those involved to the very end and ensure they face the corresponding consequences.”

The operation comes amid heightened public concern in South Korea after a Korean student reportedly forced to work at a scam center in Cambodia was found dead last summer. The student’s death, allegedly due to torture and abuse, prompted the South Korean government to send a delegation to Cambodia in October to coordinate a joint response.

Senior Foreign Ministry official Yoo Byung-seok expressed gratitude to Cambodian authorities for the repatriation and emphasized the importance of continued bilateral cooperation to eradicate online scams targeting South Koreans.

Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said the deportation of the 73 South Koreans, along with 136 Myanmar citizens, is part of the country’s ongoing effort to crack down on cross-border crime and technology-based fraud. Over the past seven months, Cambodian authorities detained 5,106 suspects of 23 nationalities and deported 4,534 to their countries of origin.

Cybercrime targeting South Koreans, often involving romance and cryptocurrency scams, has flourished in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar. Many victims have lost billions of dollars worldwide; the UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates $18 billion to $37 billion was lost globally in 2023 alone.

Since October, more than 130 South Korean scam suspects from Cambodia, along with over 20 from Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines, have been repatriated. After Friday’s operation, approximately 60 South Koreans remain detained in Cambodia awaiting repatriation.

President Lee Jae Myung has called for stern action against transnational cybercrime, citing its threat to societal trust and international relations.