Government Repatriates 64 Detained from Cambodian Crime Compound
Both Victims and Suspects, Now Under Investigation Nationwide
"Joint Investigation and Sequential Repatriation Should Have Been Conducted Locally"
Koreans involved in online scams in Cambodia and detained are being repatriated through Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on the morning of the 18th. About 190 police escort officers were deployed for the repatriation that day. 2025.10.18 [Joint Coverage] Yonhap News Agency
As the Koreans repatriated from a Cambodian crime compound are known to be suspects, criticism has emerged from the opposition party that the mass repatriation will make it more difficult to uncover the full truth. On the 19th, Assemblyman Joo Jinwoo of the People Power Party stated on his social media, "We asked for the rescue of our citizens who were kidnapped in Cambodia, but instead, 64 people who had been detained for crimes were sent back en masse," adding, "The public was shocked to see their tattoos."
Assemblyman Joo pointed out, "This was the easiest measure for Cambodia, with no reason for them to refuse. Among those detained, there are individuals deeply involved in serious crimes such as torture and kidnapping. They tried to avoid repatriation to Korea. If you bring 64 people at once, can you investigate and detain them all at the same time?"
He continued, "If they lie and shift responsibility among themselves, it will not be easy to uncover the truth within the 48-hour detention period. There is a risk that heinous criminals may not be detained and could be released. If even a single serious offender is released due to the showy repatriation of criminals by the Lee Jaemyung administration and the Democratic Party, only public safety will be put at risk. How can such matters be handled this way?"
He added, "Those detained in Cambodia should have been jointly investigated locally and repatriated sequentially. That way, the Cambodian crime scenes could have been verified and evidence collected. Confrontation with foreign suspects would also be impossible. If they blame foreigners, that would be the end of it," he said.
Koreans involved in an online scam in Cambodia and detained are being repatriated through Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on the morning of the 18th. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 18th, the government repatriated 64 Koreans who had been detained in Cambodia for participating in crimes such as voice phishing, bringing them back to Korea in handcuffs. These individuals were both victims detained in the crime compound and accomplices or perpetrators who committed crimes such as voice phishing targeting fellow Koreans. Of the 64, 59 were apprehended during a Cambodian crackdown on scam compounds, while the remaining 5 were rescued after reporting themselves.
It is reported that these individuals are currently being investigated across the country, including 45 at the South Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency and 15 at the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency. The South Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency, which received the largest number of transferees, applied for arrest warrants on the 19th for many suspects on charges such as investment chatroom scams, voice phishing, and no-show scams. The Seodaemun Police Station in Seoul also applied for an arrest warrant for one suspect who was the account holder in an investment chatroom scam case currently under investigation.
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