"I Wanted to Do It Impressively"... BJs Planning to Broadcast from Cambodia Ultimately Blocked from Departure

"I will do an Excel Broadcast in a crime complex," broadcaster declares
Amid mounting criticism, says "Entry denied"

Police officers from the Anti-Terrorism Task Force of the Police Unit are standing by at the boarding gate for the Cambodia-bound flight at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport (photo to aid article understanding). Photo by Yonhap News Agency

It has been confirmed that the number of individual broadcasters heading to Cambodia, where travel advisories in some areas have been raised to the highest level, is increasing. Some broadcasters have announced plans to visit areas known as crime complexes to stream their broadcasts, raising concerns.

According to News1 and various online communities on October 20, broadcaster A, who is active as an individual streamer (BJ), posted flight payment details and a verification photo, stating that they would depart for Cambodia on October 21.

A stated, "I plan to do an Excel Broadcast in front of a criminal hideout," and also revealed that three fellow broadcasters would be accompanying them. Excel Broadcast is a format where multiple broadcasters organize viewer donations in an Excel-like spreadsheet and display them in real time, encouraging competition among viewers for donations.

However, as criticism of this news grew, A clarified their position in another post. A said, "I was informed that entry into Cambodia will not be permitted," adding, "Because of the recent incident involving the death of a Korean college student, it is reportedly difficult for anyone other than local residents to enter." A continued, "I tried to go via Vietnam, but since it is considered a war zone, Vietnam is also not an option," and apologized, saying, "I wanted to do an impressive overseas broadcast, but I am truly sorry."

Previously, on October 12, posts spread on online communities and social network services (SNS) that broadcaster B, who is active as a BJ on an online streaming platform, had conducted a live broadcast in front of the Wangu complex in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

The area where the live broadcast took place is classified as one of the three major crime complexes in Cambodia, along with the Taija complex and the Mango complex.

B staged a solo protest in front of the complex, saying, "Release the Koreans while you can," and "Free the victims who are being forcibly detained." This scene was broadcast live in real time, with the number of viewers exceeding 20,000.