Finger Injury Under Unclear Circumstances
Has Not Returned to Korea Yet
It was belatedly revealed that a missing person report filed several months ago for a woman in her 20s who traveled from Jeonbuk to Cambodia was later resolved after her whereabouts were confirmed.
On October 13, Yonhap News Agency reported that in March, the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency received a missing person report stating, "My younger sister who went to Cambodia seems to be involved in a crime."
The person who filed the report urgently requested police assistance, saying, "I received a photo from my sister showing her finger had been severed."
The police, in cooperation with the local embassy in Cambodia, located the individual referred to as Ms. A and investigated the circumstances, but found no evidence suggesting involvement in a crime.
Ms. A reportedly gave an ambiguous explanation for her finger injury, saying, "It happened in an accident while setting off fireworks."
The police believe, considering that Ms. A has been active outside and remains in contact, that she was not kidnapped or detained by a criminal organization.
However, as the cause of her injury remains unclear and she continues to stay in Cambodia despite her family's request for her to return, the police are keeping various possibilities open as they continue to investigate the circumstances.
The police plan to conduct further interviews with Ms. A upon her return to verify whether she was victimized.
Meanwhile, in Cambodia, there have been a series of crimes in which Koreans are lured with promises of employment and then kidnapped or detained. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of reports of Koreans being kidnapped in Cambodia was around 10 to 20 cases annually in 2022 and 2023, but surged to 220 cases last year. From January to August of this year, the number has already risen sharply to 330 cases.
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