Illegal organ trafficking. Yonhap News. 

In connection with the case of a South Korean university student murdered by a criminal organization in Cambodia, the joint autopsy being conducted locally will also include an investigation into whether the victim was a target of organ trafficking.

To comprehensively determine the circumstances of the crime and the cause of death, the police plan to verify both external trauma to the body and any potential organ harvesting through the local autopsy.

According to the National Police Agency and the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency on the 16th, the autopsy procedure for the victim, a 22-year-old university student surnamed Park who was tortured and killed in Cambodia last August, will be held soon at a local medical institution.

The autopsy will be attended by South Korean investigative officials, including a forensic pathologist from the National Forensic Service (NFS), two health officials, and investigators from both the National Police Agency and the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency, to determine the cause of death.

It is reported that the autopsy will comprehensively assess the cause of death, including signs of external force and the condition of internal organs. The investigation into whether any organs were harvested is among the items included in the autopsy process.

The police explained that, as of now, there is no evidence confirming such allegations.

The results of the autopsy will be shared with South Korean investigative authorities through official notification procedures.

Following the autopsy and cremation in Cambodia, Park’s remains are scheduled to be repatriated to South Korea.

Previously, the police stated that they had received approval from a Cambodian court for the joint autopsy and that the NFS autopsy team plans to conduct the procedure independently.

The specific date and time for the autopsy have not yet been set.

However, as the joint government response team met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on this day to request, among other things, the swift repatriation of South Korean individuals involved in crimes who are currently in local custody, observers suggest that the autopsy for Park could take place early next week if consultations between the two countries proceed smoothly.

Park’s body is currently being held by Cambodian authorities.

Regarding his death, if the deceased is not officially designated as a victim of a crime, the costs for body storage and cremation will be borne by the bereaved family.

[Graphic] Travel advisory levels by region in Cambodia.

The victim, Park, departed for Cambodia on July 17 and was found dead inside a car near Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province three weeks later, on August 8.

Some individuals who claimed to have seen Park in Cambodia testified that he died while being transported to a hospital.

In various media interviews, those who have managed to escape Cambodia have claimed that "the Bokor Mountain area, used as a criminal hub, is known locally as the final 'quagmire' of crime," adding that "if one cannot escape this area, they are sometimes trafficked to neighboring countries or handed over to organ trafficking rings."

The police have captured evidence that a domestic organization recruiting "illegal bank accounts" (daepo-tongjang) was involved in the process leading to Park's departure and are currently conducting an investigation.

One of the recruiters, a student in his 20s surnamed Hong who attended the same university as Park, has been arrested and indicted in South Korea, and is scheduled to stand trial next month.

The police are also tracking additional accomplices by focusing on the analysis of financial flows and communication records.

A police official stated, "We will investigate with all possibilities open," adding, "We will determine the exact circumstances of the crime by synthesizing all investigation results."

Amid the controversy following the kidnapping and detention of South Koreans in Cambodia, members of the Incheon International Airport Police Counter-Terrorism Unit and security team members are conducting safety activities, including Q&A sessions, for Korean passengers bound for Cambodia at a boarding gate in Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on the 15th. Yonhap News. 

Yonhap News