2025年10月，柬埔寨發生多起針對韓國公民的綁架、拘禁及就業詐騙案件，引發首爾政府高度關注。據報導，目前約有80名韓國人在柬埔寨下落不明，其中70人為今年失蹤者，另有10人自去年起便處於失聯狀態。事件規模之大和性質之嚴重，在近年來韓國外交行動中極為罕見。

10月10日，韓國外交部長趙顯召見柬埔寨駐韓大使，就此事件表示嚴正關切，並敦促柬方採取切實有效的應對措施。據悉，韓國通常很少召見其他國家的大使，這一舉動顯示出事態的緊急性與嚴重性。隨後，韓國總統李在明在11日對柬埔寨接連發生的針對韓國公民的犯罪事件作出指示，要求外交部通過外交途徑全力保護公民安全，並對柬埔寨首都金邊發佈特別旅遊預警，以提醒國民注意風險。

隨著案件數量的增加，韓國政府進一步採取了行動。總統辦公室于14日宣佈，將於15日派遣聯合應對小組前往柬埔寨，專門打擊針對韓國公民的犯罪行為。李在明在同日主持國務會議時指出，各部門必須動用一切可用手段，迅速、準確地應對相關事件，並將保護受害者置於首要位置，協助失蹤公民儘快安全回國。

根據韓國外交部官員透露，前八個月赴柬埔寨的韓國人失蹤或被拘禁人數已達330人，相較於去年的220人呈現大幅上升趨勢。這一現象表明，針對韓國公民的就業詐騙和綁架事件在柬埔寨呈現明顯增長態勢。雖然部分失蹤者已被當地警方拘留、營救或自行返回韓國確認安全，但仍有約80人處於失蹤狀態，成為韓方重點關注和處理的對象。

整體來看，此次事件不僅凸顯柬埔寨境內針對外國公民尤其是韓國人的高風險犯罪問題，也暴露了跨國就業詐騙和綁架的嚴峻性。韓國政府的迅速反應和派遣聯合應對小組，顯示國家對海外公民安全的高度重視，同時也向國際社會傳遞出強烈信號：韓國將積極採取一切措施，保護國民在海外的生命和財產安全。

In October 2025, Cambodia saw a surge in cases involving the kidnapping, detention, and employment-related scams targeting South Korean citizens, prompting urgent concern from the Seoul government. Reports indicate that approximately 80 South Koreans remain missing in Cambodia, with 70 having disappeared this year and another 10 unaccounted for since last year. The scale and severity of these incidents are rare in recent South Korean diplomatic history.

On October 10, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun summoned Cambodia’s ambassador to Seoul to express serious concern and urge Cambodian authorities to take immediate and effective measures. Notably, such summoning of a foreign ambassador is an uncommon diplomatic move for South Korea, underscoring the urgency of the situation. On October 11, President Yoon Jae-myung instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fully protect citizens abroad through diplomatic channels and issued a special travel advisory for Phnom Penh, alerting South Koreans to the heightened risks.

As the number of incidents grew, the South Korean government escalated its response. On October 14, the presidential office announced that a joint response team would be sent to Cambodia on October 15 to directly address crimes targeting Korean nationals. During a state meeting the same day, President Yoon emphasized that all available resources must be mobilized to respond swiftly and accurately, placing the protection of victims as the top priority and assisting missing citizens in returning safely.

According to officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 330 South Koreans who traveled to Cambodia during the first eight months of the year were reported missing or detained, a sharp increase from 220 cases the previous year. This indicates a rising trend of employment scams and kidnappings targeting South Koreans in Cambodia. While some missing individuals have been located—either detained by local authorities, rescued, or returned to Korea—around 80 remain unaccounted for, representing the main focus of Korean authorities’ ongoing efforts.

Overall, these events highlight the high-risk environment in Cambodia for foreign nationals, particularly South Koreans, and expose the growing sophistication and scale of cross-border employment fraud and abduction schemes. South Korea’s rapid response and deployment of a joint response team demonstrate the government’s strong commitment to protecting its citizens abroad and send a clear signal internationally: the safety and security of South Korean nationals overseas will be vigorously safeguarded.