Frequent Deaths Linked to Scam-Related Trips to Cambodia: South Korea Issues Travel Ban | WPN World People News

According to media reports, due to a sharp rise in job scam, kidnapping, and detention cases involving South Korean nationals in Cambodia, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a Level 4 travel alert—*the highest level*, effectively banning travel to Cambodia starting October 16. This comes after a 30-year-old South Korean woman was recently found dead near the Vietnam-Cambodia border. The South Korean government also plans to accelerate the repatriation of Korean scam suspects stranded in Cambodia.

Reports indicate that the South Korean government has identified over 1,000 of its nationals suspected of engaging in fraudulent activities in Cambodia. Between January and August of this year alone, 330 South Koreans went missing after entering the country. On October 14, President Lee Jae-myung stated that the government would mobilize all available resources and take strong diplomatic action to protect its citizens. A task force, led by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be dispatched to Cambodia.

The report also explained that South Korea’s travel advisory system consists of four levels: Blue (Exercise caution), Yellow (Reconsider travel), Red (Advised to evacuate), and Black (Travel prohibited). The newly issued travel ban on Cambodia will be in effect for 90 days. Cambodian police have recently ramped up crackdowns and have arrested hundreds of suspects, including 63 South Korean nationals.

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