In recent years, a series of kidnappings and illegal confinements involving South Koreans in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries have emerged as a major news story. Although such incidents had been occurring since 2022, they first entered public consciousness in 2024 through investigative reporting by the Korean TV show Unanswered Questions. As further reporting revealed the sheer scale and organized nature of the operations, the issue escalated into a full-scale national crisis in October 2025.

The crimes were carried out through an organized fraud scheme that lured victims to Cambodia and other countries with promises of well-paid, easy work. Upon arrival, victims’ passports and money were confiscated, and they were confined in remote locations, where they were forced to participate in voice phishing operations. Those who refused were subjected to violence, torture, and, in some cases, murder. The few who managed to escape were often recaptured by local police or soldiers in the pay of the criminal gangs.

Once thought of as individual kidnappings, the cases were later revealed to be part of a far larger operation. National Security Advisor Sunglac Wi has stated that approximately 1,000 South Koreans have been connected to the giant fraud network, which is thought to contain some 200,000 participants. Authorities believe that around 600 cumulative kidnapping and confinement cases since 2022 can be linked to the enterprise.

The magnitude of the crimes shocked the public, leading to widespread criticism of the South Korean Embassy in Cambodia over its handling of reported cases. Reports indicate that in at least one instance, a victim who reached the embassy with the assistance of other Koreans was turned away, with officials citing the end of office hours, failing to provide immediate protection despite the urgency of the situation.

While a number of cases involved tourists, the majority of those abducted were students, recent graduates, and job seekers in their 20s and 30s seeking lucrative work. Drawn by promises of unusually high wages, many traveled to these countries voluntarily, with some reportedly aware that the jobs offered were illegal.

On October 16, 2025, South Korea’s Ministry of Education issued an official directive to universities nationwide, instructing them to restrict student travel to high-risk Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. The ministry also ordered a comprehensive review of overseas internship programs to screen for potential fraud. Institutions, including Yeungnam University, issued warnings via SMS and official school apps, with one message stating that “offers of high paying overseas jobs found on social media are likely scams.”

SeoulTech also took action on October 24, 2025, issuing warnings and safety guidelines regarding the incidents through its university notice board. At the same time, department level checks were initiated via KakaoTalk group chats to identify any students who had failed to return from volunteering, exchange, or training programs in Cambodia. The message instructed students to contact the Student Council President or Vice President if they, or anyone they knew, fell into this category.

Despite taking place far from South Korea, the crimes have raised broader questions for Korean society about what drove so many young adults to travel abroad and ultimately become vulnerable to such schemes. For many Koreans in their 20s, the long held belief that hard work leads to success increasingly feels mythical. Well-paying and rewarding jobs are widely seen as difficult to secure, with employers favoring experienced workers over fresh graduates. Social media further deepens this sense of inadequacy, as young people watch peers appearing to accumulate wealth quickly through cryptocurrency or stock trading. As a result, a steady paycheck is increasingly perceived as insufficient. In this environment, offers of “guaranteed high pay” are often viewed as risks worth taking rather than warning signs, underscoring the need for sustained government attention to youth employment conditions.

Reporters

Myungjae Lee

swk08085@seoultech.ac.kr

Jinpyo Hong

undohere@seoultech.ac.kr

Reporter 이명재

• 직책 :
• e-mail : swk08085@seoultech.ac.kr

홍진표 기자

• 직책 :
• e-mail : undohere@seoultech.ac.kr