There Is a Police Officer Like This... Busan Senior Officer Boards Plane at His Own Expense to Take Down International 'Phishing' Organization

Rescuing a Man in His Twenties Lured by a Job Offer
Protecting a Man in His Thirties Who Escaped the Organization on His Way Home

A man in his twenties who was nearly lured into an international employment scam organization was rescued, while another man in his thirties, who had already fallen victim to such a scam and escaped from a life-threatening situation, safely returned home.

The guardian angel who protected both men was a single police officer from Busan. He was a senior officer from the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency who had traveled to Cambodia to investigate the base of a voice phishing operation. In a scene reminiscent of a movie, he saved the victims one after another on his flights to and from Cambodia.

According to the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, Oh Younghun, Chief of Investigation at the Busan Seobu Police Station (age 56, Police Superintendent), visited Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from August 21 to 24 at his own expense. His purpose was to directly confirm the location of an investment-leading scam organization. Although it was not possible to make this an official business trip, he wanted to see firsthand how voice phishing was being carried out locally. Chief Oh inspected specific buildings through the embassy and the Korean Association, but found that CCTV cameras were installed everywhere and outsiders were strictly prohibited from entering.

The first rescue took place on the plane as it arrived at Phnom Penh Airport. Chief Oh received an urgent text message from the embassy’s police attach?, asking him to take custody of a man in his twenties who was about to join a voice phishing organization. The man’s parents had reported to the police that their intellectually disabled son had been deceived into going to Cambodia with the promise of employment. After confirming the young man’s identity and photo, Chief Oh found him sitting right next to him. He stayed by the young man’s side until the immigration process was complete after landing, then safely handed him over to the waiting police attach?.

On his return flight, Chief Oh protected a man in his thirties who had escaped from the scam organization. As he was about to return home after completing his work, Chief Oh again received a request from the police attach? to accompany a man in his thirties, who had been detained and assaulted for a week by the phishing organization before escaping, all the way to Incheon Airport.

The man confided in a trembling voice, "I was detained and beaten for a week." He said that because he failed to withdraw the scam funds, the organization members beat him indiscriminately. Even upon arrival at Incheon Airport, he was anxious, saying, "I think an organization member has come to catch me." Chief Oh stayed with him until the end and safely reunited him with his family.

Within the police force and beyond, Chief Oh is known as a "voice phishing prevention evangelist." Four years ago, after receiving a scam call himself, he launched the YouTube channel "Solution Detective" and, together with comedian Heo Donghwan, produced content to raise awareness about prevention. Last year, he volunteered to work at the joint investigation team of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office, helping to arrest dozens of ringleaders and organization members.

He emphasized, "To stop attempts to lure young people with promises of employment, government-level action is necessary." He added, "The government must take direct action by demanding joint responses from Southeast Asian governments such as Cambodia and the Philippines, and by dispatching police officers who can interpret on site."