Kim Byungjoo, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced on October 18 that three young Koreans who had been detained in Cambodia have been rescued.
Kim, who leads the Democratic Party’s Overseas Korean Safety Task Force, stated on Facebook that day, “We are finally bringing home Jeong, a young man from Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, who was detained in Cambodia, along with two other young Koreans.”
He added, “On the day I boarded the flight to Cambodia, I received a tip-off that a young man from Namyangju was being held captive. After hearing the desperate pleas of Jeong’s mother, I boarded the plane determined to bring him back safely.”
Kim explained, “Together with my aides in Korea, we located Jeong’s friend. The friend pretended to be interested in a job in Cambodia and tried to contact Jeong, which eventually led us to discover his hiding place. During a phone call, Jeong, while being watched by his captor, discreetly signaled that he needed help.”
Kim said that he requested a search of the apartment-style hotel where Jeong was believed to be held, but the Cambodian police, urging caution, actually discouraged the operation, resulting in significant difficulties during the rescue process.
He further stated, “Koreans living in Cambodia told me that even if the hiding place is confirmed, police meetings alone can take several days, and an on-site raid could take more than 20 days. In reality, the Cambodian police responded that an immediate rescue was not possible.”
Kim shared that he appealed to high-ranking government officials, and “the police raid, which was initially expected to take at least 20 days, was decided in just half a day.”
He continued, “I spent two sleepless nights, filled with anxiety, worried that the rescue operation might be exposed and put them in danger. This miraculous outcome was only possible thanks to the active support of the Cambodian government officials and overseas Koreans.”
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