Arrived After Escape, But Turned Away Before Working Hours
Emergency Pleas for Help Reveal Inadequate Local Response
A Korean victim who made a dramatic escape from a crime zone in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, reportedly endured more than 12 hours at the embassy's doorstep pleading for help, only to have the embassy refuse entry.
As cases of kidnapping and detention of Koreans continue to occur in Cambodia, the government has taken action. On the 16th (local time), household items were piled up inside the Taeja Complex, known as a crime zone near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo by Yonhap News
According to a video and testimony from the victim, referred to as Mr. A, reported by Yonhap News on the 19th, he arrived at the Korean Embassy in Phnom Penh around 6 a.m. last April. However, the embassy did not open its doors, citing that it was before working hours.
In the video, Mr. A is seen desperately pleading, saying, "I've come all the way to the embassy, can't I come in?", "Is there any way I can enter now?", and "Even if it's just the parking lot, please let me stay."
Barbed wire has been installed on the outer wall of the Taeja Complex, known as a crime zone near Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the 16th (local time), as the government takes measures following a series of abductions and detentions of Koreans in Cambodia. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
An embassy staff member informed him, "We open at 8 a.m.," and then transferred the call to another employee, but the situation did not change. In the end, no one allowed Mr. A inside the embassy.
Mr. A stated, "I had been requesting rescue since the day before escaping the crime zone, but I did not receive any help," adding that he repeatedly reported being detained and assaulted at the time.
After a long wait, when the embassy officially began work, he spent time at a nearby shop and contacted local residents. About two hours later, he was finally able to enter the embassy.
The victim, Mr. A, revealed that he went to Cambodia after hearing rumors of high returns from stock investments, only to be illegally detained and threatened. He was exposed to violence, including demands for valuables worth approximately 30 million won.
Just before attempting to escape, he left his location and a rescue request message on his mobile phone. However, since he could not send the requested photo and exact location to the embassy, it was determined that assistance was not possible.
Mr. A said, "Taking photos while in captivity was out of the question, and all communication with the outside was completely blocked."
Although his family reported the case to the Korean police, the authorities at the time reportedly took no active measures, saying, "It doesn't seem your son has been kidnapped; it looks like he is lying," without verifying the facts.
In this desperate situation, Mr. A made a late-night escape through a back door of the crime zone. "I walked, prepared to die, and barely made it to Phnom Penh by hitchhiking," he said, describing how he hid in the bushes to avoid danger and even posted videos on social media to plead for rescue.
Despite successfully escaping, Mr. A expressed deep disappointment with the embassy's response, saying, "I was exhausted from Sihanoukville, and I was trembling in fear in front of the embassy, afraid I would be caught again because they wouldn't let me in."
This incident once again highlights the safety issues faced by citizens abroad and the shortcomings in the embassy's response system.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
