Cambodia Incident Causes Uproar... 9 Out of 10 Young Adults Say "No to Southeast Asia Travel"

Realmeter Poll on the 23rd Shows
82% Say "Incident Has Affected Perception of Southeast Asia Travel"
56% Say "Initial Response by Foreign Ministry Was Inadequate"

Recently, reports of crimes such as kidnapping, confinement, and torture targeting Koreans in Cambodia have been on the rise, increasing public anxiety. In particular, this fear is spreading beyond Cambodia to the entire Southeast Asian region, including Vietnam and Thailand. In fact, this situation has already impacted travel demand.

Fear of Traveling in Southeast Asia Spreads Due to Cambodia Incident

Koreans detained for involvement in online scams in Cambodia are being repatriated through Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on the morning of the 18th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to a survey conducted by Realmeter on October 21, 2025, among 504 adults aged 18 and older nationwide at the request of the tip-off team leader, 82.4% of respondents said that the recent crime incident in Cambodia has affected their perception of traveling to Southeast Asian countries. Notably, among young adults aged 18 to 29, 88.3% responded that it had an impact, a higher proportion than other age groups.

When asked what response the government should take regarding crimes against its citizens, the most common answer was "focus on cooperation and joint investigations with local governments," at 34.7%. This was followed by "strong protest through diplomatic channels and efforts to establish agreements to prevent recurrence" at 27.5%, and "strong measures such as military operations" at 25.2%.

Public Trust in Government Response 'Shaken'

Regarding the initial response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 56.0% rated it as inadequate. Only 35.9% said it was handled well. On the claim that there may have been hasty administration or involvement in vested interests, such as corruption, in Cambodia support projects led by previous administrations, 57.0% agreed, while 35.9% disagreed.

As for the future of economic and development cooperation between Korea and Cambodia, 52.9% said "cooperation should be maintained, but with additional management and oversight." Meanwhile, 33.0% responded that "cooperation should be immediately suspended."

"Lack of Quality Jobs in Korea Is the Main Cause"

Prince Group headquarters, identified as the mastermind behind the Cambodian crime complex. Photo by Yonhap News

As seen in the recent Cambodia incident, when asked why young people in their 20s and 30s are vulnerable to overseas employment scams, the most common response was "lack of quality jobs in Korea" at 38.4%, followed by "wage and working environment imbalances" at 18.7%, "absence of youth employment policies" at 15.7%, and "lack of information" at 15.0%.

This survey was conducted using an automated response system with random digit dialing (RDD) based on a 100% wireless random sample. The response rate was 4.4%, and the margin of error was ±4.4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Most Kidnapping and Confinement Cases Are Employment Scams... Tourist Victims Are Rare

Meanwhile, some voices are warning against "excessive fear." In reality, most cases of kidnapping and confinement in Cambodia have been identified as online employment scams, luring victims with promises of "high-paying overseas jobs" or "investment leading chat rooms." A representative of the Tourism Authority of Thailand stated, "There has never been an official notice regarding security risks," adding, "Most of these are employment scam-related kidnappings, and there have been almost no cases of tourists being kidnapped and taken to Cambodia." The official continued, "If there had been frequent incidents involving actual travelers, an official notice would have already been issued," emphasizing, "The risk for ordinary tourists is low."