Foreign Ministry: Korean Man in His 50s Wanted on Interpol Red Notice Dies in Cambodia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 17th that a Korean man in his 50s, identified as Mr. A, who was subject to an Interpol Red Notice in Cambodia, died this past June.

People are moving toward the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials is conducting a search and seizure at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building on the morning of the 24th in connection with allegations of preferential hiring involving Shim Woojung, the former Prosecutor General's daughter. 2025.9.24 Photo by Jo Yongjun

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters that day, "Our citizen, who had been hospitalized at Sihanoukville Provincial Hospital in Cambodia, passed away on June 18."

Mr. A visited the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Cambodia on May 19 and stated that he had illegally entered Cambodia from Thailand around 2023 and was under administrative sanctions regarding his passport. The embassy discovered that Mr. A was wanted on an Interpol Red Notice for fraud and advised him to turn himself in, but he declined, saying, "I will come back at a later time," and left.

The hospital, which informed the local diplomatic mission about Mr. A, reported, "He has been hospitalized since June 5." A hospital official told a consular assistant who visited the site, "The patient is able to communicate, but he refuses to answer any questions about his family back in Korea." The hospital also requested the embassy's approval to transfer him to a hospital in Phnom Penh due to his poor condition.

The embassy attempted to contact Mr. A's spouse, whose information was listed on his passport application in 2012, multiple times but received no response. It has also been reported that contact could not be made with Mr. A's children.