"Why Are You Flying to Cambodia?" Man in His 20s Hesitates During Police Check... Police Launch Preliminary Investigation

On the 15th, at the boarding gate of Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport, members of the Incheon International Airport Police Anti-Terrorism Task Force and security team officials conducted safety activities, including Q&A sessions, targeting Korean passengers on flights bound for Cambodia to prevent potential risks. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The police have launched a preliminary investigation into a man in his 20s who was about to board a flight to Cambodia at Incheon International Airport but was unable to properly answer questions about the purpose of his trip.

According to the Incheon Airport Police on October 16, officers prevented a man in his 20s, identified as A, from boarding a flight to Cambodia at around 6:30 p.m. that day in front of the boarding gate at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport. During a random security check, police asked questions such as "What is the purpose of your trip?" but A reportedly failed to provide a clear answer, instead responding, "Why are you stopping me? I need to leave."

The police persuaded A not to depart, explaining that "the local situation in Cambodia could be dangerous," and brought him to the investigation office of the airport police to further verify the purpose of his trip.

At around 7:35 p.m. the same day, a message was posted in a so-called "borrowed-name bank account" recruitment chatroom on Telegram, stating, "Failed to leave the country. Tomorrow, two people. Sunday, one person. All have to be canceled for now." This led to speculation that A might be a member of a criminal organization. However, the police explained that no criminal charges have been confirmed at this stage.

A reportedly remained silent and did not provide any meaningful answers despite continued questioning by the police.

A police official stated, "It has not yet been confirmed whether the person who posted the message and A are the same individual," adding, "We will continue questioning and are considering whether to escalate the case to a formal investigation."

The previous day, at around 7:00 p.m., police also stopped a man in his 30s from boarding a flight to Cambodia at Incheon International Airport. During an interview with officers, he explained that "I quit my main job and was taking a break, and a younger acquaintance I met through Telegram in the past sent me a flight ticket."