Cambodia’s state-run AKP news agency reported on Chinese nationals arrested during a crackdown by Cambodian authorities in Kampot province last August as part of their war on "online scam" crime syndicates. These three Chinese individuals have been indicted on murder charges by local prosecutors who investigated the case of a Korean university student who was tortured and killed in Cambodia last August. According to the state-run AKP news agency on the 11th (local time), the Kampot Provincial Prosecutor's Office indicted three Chinese nationals in their 30s and 40s, including a 35-year-old identified as A, on charges of murder and fraud the previous day. They are accused of murdering a Korean university student in his 20s near Bokor Mountain in Kampot province, Cambodia, last August. Yonhap News.

The police announced that they are considering measures to strengthen investigations into the deaths and other crimes involving Korean victims in Cambodia.

An official from the National Office of Investigation under the National Police Agency provided this response during a regular press briefing on the 13th when asked if any other death cases, like the one involving the university student, had been reported to the police.

As a countermeasure against crimes in Cambodia, the police are pushing for the establishment of a "Korean Desk" (a dedicated police officer unit for handling cases involving Koreans), the expansion of police attaché placements, and the addition of 30 personnel for international joint investigations.

Yoo Jae-sung, Acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency, stated, "It is true that cooperation between police is not as smooth in Cambodia compared to other Southeast Asian countries," adding, "We are continuing our efforts in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant authorities."

He further added, "In my bilateral meeting with the Deputy Commissioner General of the Cambodian National Police next week, I will request the establishment of a Korean Desk in Cambodia and a strong response from local police."

However, he noted that it would be difficult to establish a Korean Desk in the short term, as it requires signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with relevant Cambodian authorities and discussions regarding the scale of personnel to be dispatched.

The current Korean Desk in the Philippines operates within the local police headquarters rather than the Korean embassy. It is understood that because the issue involves national sovereignty, the host country is sensitive to such arrangements.

Regarding criticisms that the National Police Agency's downsizing of its Foreign Affairs Bureau in 2023 led to a decline in overseas investigation capabilities, Acting Commissioner General Yoo replied, "I do not believe there is any connection at all."

At the time, the National Police Agency reorganized its International Crime Investigation Unit into the International Crime Investigation Division under the Narcotics Investigation Unit, and integrated the Foreign Affairs Division into other departments such as the Intelligence Bureau.

Regarding plans for the National Office of Investigation Chief to visit Cambodia, Acting Commissioner General Yoo explained, "If Cambodia lacks the will to cooperate, it is difficult to find highly effective measures, but I believe we can resolve the lack of cooperation if we continue to visit and demand stronger investigative coordination."

He stated that they plan to exert maximum effort, including pressuring Cambodia to change its stance in collaboration with international organizations such as Interpol.

Regarding the Official Development Assistance (ODA) program between the Korean National Police Agency and Cambodia, Acting Commissioner General Yoo stated, "We are proceeding with ODA as planned without any setbacks."

He also mentioned that he understood that the refugee application process is currently underway for an anti-government figure whom Cambodia has requested be repatriated.

In response to this, a police official added, "This is an internal Cambodian matter and a diplomatic issue, so it is difficult for the National Police Agency to officially confirm or express a position," adding, "There has been no continuous demand (for repatriation) from the Cambodian side."

An online scam syndicate apprehended by Cambodian police last July. EPA Yonhap News.

The police also disclosed how the case of the university student who died in the Bokor Mountain area of Kampot province, Cambodia, on August 8 came to be reported to the Korean police.

Following the incident in August, a request for fingerprint identification of the deceased was filed with the Korean National Police Agency, and the National Forensic Service communicated the urgent analysis results to the local embassy on August 12.

A police official explained, "This case was difficult to verify because there was no precise location information regarding the missing person."

Regarding allegations that the perpetrators of this case are also involved in the "Daechi-dong drug case," the police stated that it is currently under investigation.

The police have requested that the Cambodian authorities allow access to the relevant investigative records within October.

Yonhap News