Kim Byungjoo Responds to Controversy Over Tattooed Youths in Cambodia: "Still Our Citizens... Both Victims and Perpetrators of Romance Scam"

Criticism of "Political Show" Emerges Among Some Expatriates
Kim Actively Defends Rescue, Saying "Saving Lives Was the Only Option"

Regarding the controversy surrounding the rescue of three young Koreans who had participated in a "romance scam" crime in Cambodia, Kim Byungjoo, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, explained, "We had no other choice but to rescue them because they are our citizens."

The young man's arms were covered in tattoos. Regarding the criticism that he "rescued a crime suspect rather than a victim," Representative Kim explained, "Jeong Mo was the son of a resident in my constituency, Namyangju-eul, and his parents asked a city council member to 'please rescue our son,' so I stepped in." Facebook of Representative Kim Byungjoo

Appearing on MBC Radio's "Kim Jongbae's Focus" on the 20th, Supreme Council Member Kim stated that he met with the three young men on the afternoon of the 18th, after requesting help from high-ranking Cambodian officials and securing their rescue on the 17th. He said, "All of them admitted to being involved in the early stages of romance scam fraud." He went on to say, "These young men are both victims and perpetrators. Some were forced into it, but since they participated in fraud, there may be Korean victims among our citizens as well."

Previously, some members of the Korean community in Cambodia criticized the rescue as "an excessive political performance." On the 18th, a person identified as Mr. A, who described himself as a businessman traveling between Korea and Cambodia, wrote on social media, "Please do not exploit this situation. It only hurts the community twice. Desperate expatriates do not have the luxury to be swayed by a politician's show." He added, "After seeing Supreme Council Member Kim's Facebook post, I think the community's emotions will explode. Is the young man you boasted about rescuing someone who should have been saved, or someone who should have been investigated and detained by the police?" This criticism suggests that, although the individuals rescued are suspects who should be investigated by the police, the narrative excessively promoted them as innocent victims.

Kim Byungjoo, head of the Overseas Korean Safety Countermeasures Team and Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, briefs on the rescue of Koreans in front of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the 18th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Mr. A also mentioned that local expatriates had appealed for a distinction between Cambodian society and Korean criminal organizations. He continued, "Now that there is an opportunity for a 'good story,' are you breaking your promise to the community again? Even after witnessing firsthand that crime breeds more crime, are you still reframing this as a rescue and promoting yourself as a hero?"

In response to criticism that, because the young man's arms were covered in tattoos, it appeared he was a crime suspect rather than a victim, Supreme Council Member Kim explained, "Jeong Mo is the son of a resident in my constituency, Namyangju-eul. His parents asked a city council member to 'please rescue our son,' so I stepped in." He emphasized, "The role of the state is first to protect the lives of its citizens. Therefore, the priority is to rescue them, repatriate them to Korea, conduct an investigation, apply legal punishment, and then help them return to normal life after serving their sentence." He further explained, "Leaving them in a den of evil would put their lives at risk, so the rescue was absolutely necessary."

Kim Byungjoo, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced that three Korean men in their 20s who were held captive for two months in a Cambodian crime complex were rescued in cooperation with local police. Kim Byungjoo Facebook

Furthermore, Supreme Council Member Kim noted, "Among those detained by Cambodian police, quite a few refused to return to Korea or even to speak with their parents. Fortunately, all three individuals I rescued wanted to return to Korea, and they were first-time offenders who had only been there for about two months." Finally, he mentioned that the three rescued individuals would return to Korea as soon as the local police investigation was complete, adding, "It seemed they needed a guardian, so I asked a Korean expatriate businessman to serve as their guardian."