South Korean citizens detained in Cambodia are still waiting to go back home, officials say, even though Cambodian police had already announced a scheduled deportation. The situation follows a spike in online job‑scam cases that have trapped dozens of Koreans in the country.
Repatriation still in progress
A joint response team working with South Korea’s embassy in Phnom Penh told reporters on Friday that talks with Cambodian authorities are underway to finalise the repatriation details. “We need to iron out some technical and administrative issues,” the team said. “It’s too early to give a concrete departure date.” This statement appears to contradict Cambodia’s earlier claim that the 59 detainees would leave this week.
Cambodian police had announced Thursday that the 59 Koreans in custody—including those rescued from scam networks and those charged with organising the crimes—would be deported to South Korea on Friday. Four of the 63 detained Koreans were already flown home earlier this week. Seoul wants all the detainees back by the end of the week.
High‑level meetings to speed up the process
Senior Superintendent General Park Sung‑joo, head of South Korea’s National Office of Investigation, is slated to meet Cambodia’s police chief later today to discuss the scams. Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina will also meet the Cambodian interior minister. Park, who once served as ambassador to Lebanon, will act as the de‑facto head of the mission in Phnom Penh, coordinating closely with Cambodian officials to resolve the issue.
The task force launched by the South Korean foreign ministry at its embassy covers several areas: consular affairs, development cooperation, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bureau. The ministry said Park will lead the mission until a new ambassador is appointed.
Why the fuss?
The criticism over South Korea’s diplomatic response has grown since the Lee Jae Myung government took office. The ambassador post in Cambodia has stayed vacant, a gap that critics claim has weakened Seoul’s ability to protect its citizens abroad. The current crisis erupted after a Korean college student was brutally tortured and killed in Cambodia, shocking the Korean public.
Park brings a track record of crisis management. Last October, he oversaw the evacuation of 97 South Korean nationals and their families during the Israel‑Hezbollah conflict. “We need a solid plan to get these Koreans home safely and quickly,” Park told a press briefing.
The scam network
The scammers targeted Korean nationals with seemingly legitimate job offers, entangling many with false promises of employment abroad. Once the victims were in Cambodia, they were forced into exploitative labour or detained while authorities investigated their involvement. The foreign ministry says the task force will work with Cambodian police to dismantle the scam networks and prevent future attacks on Korean citizens.
Looking ahead
The repatriation schedule still hinges on final agreements between the two governments. While Cambodian police confirm the intent to deport the detainees, the South Korean team insists on careful coordination. Once the logistics are sorted, the 59 Koreans should be flown home later this week.
The story remains in the news as the two sides move toward a resolution. Readers can follow the latest updates on the situation through the South Korean foreign ministry’s website and the Phnom Penh police press releases.
Sources: , Yonhap News Agency, Reuters, Associated Press.
Source: ianslive
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