Cambodian authorities assert that approximately 80 South Korean citizens currently held by immigration are refusing to return home, a statement that clashes with Seoul’s expressed concerns about their whereabouts and potential involvement in trafficking schemes.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokha announced the detention of the 80 individuals. He stated they actively decline repatriation, even after contact from South Korean officials. The announcement was made via the ministry’s Facebook page.
This declaration directly addresses earlier worries from South Korea’s Foreign Ministry. Seoul had reported roughly 80 of its citizens in Cambodia were missing with unknown fates. Concerns focused on whether these individuals had been lured into the country under false pretenses.
Sokha, however, acknowledged he could not confirm if the detained group was identical to the “missing” persons reported by South Korean media. The Cambodian narrative of refusal to repatriate contrasts sharply with the South Korean suspicion of involuntary disappearance or trafficking.
Adding to the complex situation, Cambodian police recently arrested three Chinese nationals. They are suspects in the murder of a South Korean citizen. Authorities are preparing a formal clarification for South Korea regarding this incident.
The Cambodian Interior Ministry’s Facebook page also featured videos of two South Korean women. They claimed to have lived and worked peacefully in Cambodia for an extended period, disputing “scary stories” in the news. Online observers, however, questioned the authenticity of these statements, suggesting they might be scripted.