About 80 Korean nationals missing due to job scams in Cambodia: officials

About 80 Koreans linked to job scams in Cambodia are missing or their safety cannot be confirmed, an official from South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday, as authorities are struggling to tackle crimes targeting Koreans amid public outrage over the torture death of a Korean student.

Seventy of them were reported missing between January and August this year, while 10 others have remained unaccounted for since last year, a ministry official told reporters, citing data filed by the Korean Embassy in Cambodia, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The embassy received reports of 330 people missing from their families and friends in the first eight months of this year, up sharply from 220 cases in 2024.

Also on Tuesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials at a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day to mobilize "all available resources" to help Korean nationals held in Cambodia return home safely.

The Korean Government announced plans to dispatch a joint response team, led by Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina, to Cambodia to work with local authorities about the matter. The team, joined by officers of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) and the National Intelligence Service, will depart on Wednesday.

South Korea's Presidential Office said the Government is considering raising the travel alert for Cambodia. Last week, the foreign ministry raised the alert for Phnom Penh, advising against travel and urging nationals in the area to leave.