10 South Koreans Arrested, Two Rescued in Cambodia Scam Crackdown

Ten South Korean nationals have been arrested in Cambodia for their alleged involvement in large-scale cyberscam operations, while two others have been rescued, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun announced on Monday. The arrests come shortly after dozens of suspected scam workers were repatriated to Seoul in a widening crackdown on transnational fraud networks.

A multibillion-dollar cyber fraud industry has proliferated across Cambodia in recent years. Experts say the sector involves thousands of people — some willingly complicit, others coerced under threat or deception by organised criminal groups.

Recent Arrests and Repatriations

The latest wave of arrests follows Cambodia’s repatriation of 64 South Koreans last weekend, all allegedly linked to so-called “pig butchering” scams — a type of online fraud in which criminals build trust with victims over time before swindling them out of money.

Those deported were placed in handcuffs upon arrival in Seoul and escorted directly from the aircraft. The National Police Agency (NPA) confirmed on Monday that it is seeking arrest warrants for 59 of the returnees.

“These individuals are implicated in voice phishing, romance scams, and ‘no-show’ fraud schemes,”
said Park Sung-joo, head of the National Office of Investigation.

Officials noted that the group consisted of both voluntary participants — individuals knowingly engaging in fraud — and involuntary victims forced into the operations.

South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that around 1,000 South Koreans are believed to be among the 200,000 people currently involved in scam networks across Cambodia. Many are said to have been lured by fake job offers before being subjected to violence or threats to carry out online scams.

The repatriations and arrests come amid national outrage in South Korea following the torture and killing of a South Korean college student in Cambodia earlier this year, allegedly by a criminal syndicate linked to scam centres.

Last week, senior officials from Seoul’s foreign ministry held meetings with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and local police authorities to coordinate efforts against human trafficking, illegal recruitment, and cyber fraud.

“We are working closely with Cambodian authorities to ensure the safe return of our nationals and dismantle these criminal networks,”
Minister Cho Hyun affirmed.

The South Korean government has vowed to intensify its operations to trace missing citizens and rescue victims trapped in forced labour schemes across Southeast Asia.

Officials in Seoul emphasised that efforts will continue until all citizens are accounted for and the criminal syndicates responsible for the widespread scams are dismantled.