South Korea: Government Takes Strong Action to Protect Citizens from Online Scams

According to the directive, relevant authorities must closely monitor online job offers and strengthen international cooperation to thoroughly crack down on criminal organizations targeting South Korean citizens abroad.

National Security Advisor Wi Sung Lac stated that the President had instructed the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) to implement an emergency review system to remove fraudulent job postings and to strengthen online content monitoring related to high-risk countries such as Cambodia.

According to South Korean authorities, criminal syndicates have been luring people with attractive job advertisements — in reality, deceptive schemes aimed at detaining, forcing victims into labor, and even torturing them in so-called “scam centers.” The South Korean government has identified this as transnational organized crime, requiring a comprehensive, inter-agency response, from prevention and victim rescue to prosecution of offenders.

Wi Sung Lac emphasized: “We need a unified strategy, not only domestically but also on the international stage, to eradicate this form of crime at its root.”

Given the seriousness of the situation, the South Korean government announced plans to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN countries, including the establishment of a coordination framework with regional law enforcement agencies, which is expected to be discussed at the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia at the end of October.

At the same time, 190 South Korean diplomatic missions around the world will be tasked with reviewing and assessing risks to map transnational crime networks, thereby enhancing the ability to trace and seize illegal assets from scam organizations.

Earlier, Seoul had issued a special travel advisory for Phnom Penh, effective from 9:00 p.m. on October 10 (local time). The measure raised the alert from a level of restricted travel to Level 2.5, applied when there is an imminent short-term emergency risk, and valid for up to 90 days from the date of issuance.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea also warned citizens not to believe in job advertisements promising unusually high salaries in Cambodia, as many victims had been deceived into traveling there and subsequently forced to participate in online scam or extortion operations.

In recent weeks, multiple reports have surfaced of South Korean nationals being kidnapped and rescued in Cambodia. Most recently, two South Koreans were found and rescued in Sihanoukville, southern Cambodia, after being assaulted and coerced into joining a scam network.

Lawmaker Park Chan-dae of the ruling Democratic Party stated that his office had cooperated with the victims’ families and the government to rescue the two individuals and had previously helped evacuate 14 South Koreans from an area near Kampot City in August. Recently, the body of a South Korean university student — who had been kidnapped for ransom — was discovered. The South Korean side determined the cause of death to be cardiac arrest following torture.

Park said he would raise the issue at the upcoming National Assembly audit session, calling on both countries to establish a state-level emergency response mechanism for similar incidents.

In August, the death of a South Korean student in southern Cambodia — allegedly detained and tortured by a scam ring — sparked public outrage. The incident became a wake-up call that prompted the government to take more decisive action than ever before.

Shortly afterward, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed his deepest condolences and pledged to arrest the suspects and ensure the safety of South Korean citizens in Cambodia. The statement was made during a meeting with South Korea’s Emergency Response Task Force, led by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jina.

The South Korean government reaffirmed that it will not tolerate any form of fraud targeting its citizens, whether at home or abroad. The recent decisive measures underscore the government’s commitment to protecting its people while sending a stern warning to international criminal networks: every crime will be pursued to the end.

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