64 Koreans suspected of participating in online fraud who had been detained in Cambodia returned to the country on the 18th and were arrested.
According to a report from AFP, South Korea sent a team to Cambodia on the 15th to discuss cases involving dozens of Korean nationals who were kidnapped through fake job offers and scam centers.
Seoul authorities previously stated that about 60 Koreans were detained by Cambodian authorities on suspicion of crimes, and announced that they would be brought back to South Korea.
A police officer said that upon arrival at Incheon Airport, all 64 individuals were immediately taken into custody as criminal suspects and would be transferred to the respective police stations with jurisdiction over their individual cases.
● Includes Voluntary Participants in Fraud
Whee Sung-ro, head of the National Security Office in Seoul, previously indicated that among the detained Koreans, there were both individuals who "voluntarily participated" in the fraud operations and "involuntary" ones.
Seoul authorities have previously stated that it is estimated that, out of a total of about 200,000 people engaged in fraud activities in Cambodia, around 1,000 are Koreans.
Experts pointed out that this multi-billion dollar illegal industry has expanded significantly in Cambodia in recent years, with tens of thousands working in online fraud—some willingly, while others are coerced by organized crime groups running the scam networks.
Human rights group Amnesty International stated that there are "large-scale" human rights violations occurring in Cambodia's scam compounds.
According to Amnesty International, there are at least 53 scam compounds in Cambodia, where criminal organizations are involved in human trafficking, forced labor, torture, deprivation of liberty, and enslavement.