Suspected to Be Staying in a Luxury Apartment in Phnom Penh
Government Issues "Special Travel Advisory" on the 10th
As violent crimes targeting South Koreans continue to occur in Cambodia, it has been reported that Hwang Hana (37), granddaughter of the founder of Namyang Dairy Products, who was under investigation for drug use, is currently staying in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.
Recently, Ilyo Sisa reported that Hwang Hana is living in a luxury residential-commercial apartment complex in Phnom Penh. She left for Thailand while under investigation for drug use, and is currently on Interpol's Red Notice list. It is believed that she later moved from Thailand to Phnom Penh.
There have been eyewitness accounts in the local area claiming that Hwang Hana is associating with members of the Thai upper class, but her current whereabouts have not been officially confirmed.
Hwang Hana first became known to the public in 2017 as the fianc?e of singer and actor Park Yuchun. However, the engagement was called off after allegations of drug use surfaced, and Park Yuchun was also arrested on drug charges, leading him to suspend his broadcasting activities.
In 2019, she received a suspended prison sentence for drug use, but was later sentenced to prison after repeated drug offenses. She reportedly left for Thailand in 2023 and has been on the run since then. That same year, she was also investigated in connection with the case involving Kim, a manager at an entertainment establishment, who was accused of blackmailing the late actor Lee Sun-kyun.
Meanwhile, there has been a sharp increase in violent crimes targeting South Koreans in Cambodia. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of reported cases of kidnapping and confinement of South Koreans, which was around 10 to 20 cases per year in 2022 and 2023, surged to 220 cases last year and 330 cases as of August this year.
It is known that most victims are lured into Cambodia by Chinese criminal organizations, have their passports confiscated, and are then forced to participate in voice phishing, gambling, and fraud schemes. According to victims' testimonies, if they fail to meet performance targets, they are subjected to beatings, electric torture, and in some cases, even organ trafficking.
On October 10, the government issued a "special travel advisory" for the Phnom Penh area. On October 15, a joint response team led by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jin-a was dispatched to Cambodia, where they formed a joint task force with the Cambodian police to begin a full-scale response.
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