pasturer Oh Chang-soo, Head of the Korean Community in Sihanoukville, shared in an interview with YTN Radio (Korea) that: "Please don't go to Cambodia. No job here pays $1,000 a month. Those who believe such an invitation are falling into a scam trap, and can even be tortured and lose their lives.
Mr. Oh said that in underdeveloped countries, the average income is very low, hiring a maid only costs about 200-300 USD/month, so all invitations for "easy work, high salary" are fake.
The clerk described Sihanoukville as having transformed since mass-built casino houses.
Now, every hotel or casino has black social gangs operating. They divided into groups of 10-20 people, controlling the entire area, he said.
According to Mr. Oh, this year alone, his group has rescued more than 50 Koreans from criminal organizations. Most are victims of online job scams - lured to work in Cambodia with high salaries, then having their passports revoked, locked up and forced to participate in illegal phone calls or online gambling.
Koreans are considered highest value because they can generate large profits for scams. They were resold to criminal organizations for more than $10,000 each, he revealed.
Regarding the recent kidnapping and torture of a Korean student in Kampot Province, Oh said the Bokosan area - where the incident occurred - has become a crime hotpot.
It was like a fortress, with only one entrance and no escape. I believe that there are still many Koreans being held inside, waiting to be rescued, he said.
According to reports from relief organizations, the number of cases of foreigners being forced to work in Cambodia has increased sharply since 2023, mainly in casino areas and special economic zones. The victims are not only from Korea, but also from Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Africa.
Mr. Oh Chang-soo called on the Korean government to urgently establish the Korean Desk - a unit that coordinates directly with the Cambodian police to investigate and rescue the victims.
Currently, South Korea has only three police deputies working in Phnom Penh, a small number compared to the size of criminal rings operating across the country.
There needs to be a Korean police force working in parallel with the Cambodian National Police. We must immediately conduct a joint investigation, crack down on organizations of human trafficking and transnational fraud, he emphasized.
