South Korea Issues Stronger Travel Warnings for Cambodia After Abduction Case
- Seoyeon Kim
- Oct 2
- 1 min read
Oct 2, 2025
Seoyeon Kim
The South Korean government has raised its travel advisories for parts of Cambodia, urging citizens to exercise greater caution following a recent kidnapping case involving a Korean national in Phnom Penh.
On September 21, a 51-year-old Korean man was abducted by armed assailants while leaving a café in Phnom Penh’s Boeung Keng Kang district, one of the city’s busiest commercial areas. He was later rescued by local police during a hotel raid, and five suspects, four Chinese nationals and one Cambodian, were arrested. Weapons, ammunition, and narcotics were also seized at the scene. Cambodian police stated that the crime appeared to have been carefully planned.
This case reflects growing concerns about safety for foreigners in Cambodia. In recent months, reports have increased of Korean nationals becoming victims of scams, forced confinement, and other crimes linked to so-called scam centers. In response, on September 16 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a Level 2 travel advisory (“Exercise Caution”) for Phnom Penh, and a special advisory equivalent to Level 2.5 for Sihanoukville, Bokor Mountain, and Bavet.
The ministry strongly advised citizens to cancel or postpone travel to these areas and urged those already in affected regions to move to safer locations. Officials emphasized that these warnings are necessary to protect travelers as security risks in Cambodia remain high.
