By Korea Times
A 22-YEAR-OLD Korean college student was found dead in Cambodia two weeks after travelling there for summer vacation. Authorities said he was kidnapped and tortured by a local crime group and died of cardiac arrest as a result.
According to accounts by police and family members today (Oct. 10), the student, identified only by his surname A, left his home in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang province, on July 17, telling his family he was going to attend an exhibition in Cambodia.
About a week later, his family received a phone call from a man speaking with a Chinese Korean accent, saying, “A caused trouble here and has been detained. Send 50 million won ($35,000) and we’ll release him.”
The family immediately contacted the Cambodian Embassy and local police, but could not determine where he was being held. Communication with the kidnappers was cut off after four days.
Two weeks later, on Aug. 8, A’s body was found near Bokor Mountain in Kampot province, where he had been held captive. The Cambodian Embassy and local authorities confirmed that the cause of death was cardiac arrest resulting from torture and extreme pain.
Despite the confirmation, A’s body has not yet been returned to Korea. Due to local autopsy and cremation procedures, repatriation is expected later this month.
“The death certificate says he died of cardiac arrest caused by torture. Imagining his suffering keeps us awake at night,” a family member said. “He still hasn’t come home — his body remains in a freezer in Cambodia. It feels like he’s being killed twice.”
Kidnappings of Korean nationals in Cambodia have surged in recent years, climbing from about 10–20 cases a year in 2022 and 2023 to 220 last year and 330 as of August this year.
With growing concerns over the safety of Korean nationals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued travel warnings on Sept. 17, raising Phnom Penh to Level 2 (reconsider travel) and placing special advisories for high-risk areas including Sihanoukville, Bokor Mountain and Bavet at Level 2.5.
CAPTION:
Suspects in the kidnapping of a Korean man in his 50s, reported by Cambodian media outlet Khmer Times on Sept. 23. This photo is unrelated to the incident described in the article. Courtesy of Cambodian police and published by Korea Times
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