Poet and Columnist, Jeong Jae-hak One of the YouTube channels I frequently watch is 'Hanguk Gaettong-i'. The host, referred to as 'Hanguk Gaettong-i Ahjussi', is from Gyeongsang Province and lives in Cambodia, married to a Cambodian woman, with whom he has two sons. He runs a used car dealership from Korea and lives a truly sincere and good life.

The YouTube content primarily focuses on the simple daily life in Cambodia. I enjoy watching these unvarnished, everyday moments. And I liked the people. The rural scenery of his wife's family in Cambodia, and the Cambodian people who appear in his life, were all so innocent, affectionate, and kind.

In the bright smiles exchanged in the marketplace, people were dedicated to their own lives. They were not people who would deceive or harm others. Though poor, I saw them diligently studying Korean for a better tomorrow. They were people who wanted to work in Korea.

You might know about the 'Killing Fields'. The Cambodian people are survivors from a land of tragedy where two million out of a population of six million were massacred by the communist regime of Pol Pot. Perhaps because of this, their eyes were benevolent, not tormenting others. They understood tears and sorrow because of what they had shed.

Gaettong-i's wife raised two sons, Seungju and Jihoon, and raised them so well that both sons attend international schools. She was a warm-hearted woman. She was so lovely and kind that I once thought a Cambodian woman would make a good daughter-in-law. I felt even more affection for her, seeing her as a beautiful neighbor who lives frugally and knows no extravagance.

Recently, there has been growing resentment towards Cambodia due to the deaths of our young men and women there. The news that they were beaten to death also made me, frankly, too enraged to compose myself.

However, all these crimes were committed by Chinese nationals. And they were lured and victimized by people of various nationalities, including Thai. Even fellow Chinese were targets of their crimes. China is also taking the lead in arrests.

They had set up entire criminal compounds to carry out their offenses. An entire multi-story building was a criminal complex. It is known that voice phishing, human trafficking, confinement, and murder occurred here.

The problem is that the profits from these crimes go to the police and core figures in the government, thereby protecting the criminal activities. It has been said to affect the national GDP to such an extent that it should be called a 'state-level criminal industry'.

Therefore, it is clear that the police and the government are in a symbiotic relationship with the criminals. The fact that these criminal compounds were established and operated without any restrictions indicates that the police and government condoned these crimes. When the crimes were recently uncovered and arrests began, they were seen moving their belongings in broad daylight. This would also be impossible without police protection.

The Cambodian civil service is such that foreigners cannot accomplish anything without bribes. This is a terminal symptom of a regime dominated by the Hun Sen family, who have been in power for over 40 years. It is said to be more severe than Vietnam, which is infamous for its corruption. So, who do you think has been pocketing the hundreds of billions of won that Korea sends annually?

The criminal incidents currently occurring in Cambodia are a collaboration between Chinese nationals and the corrupt Cambodian regime. We must realize that these acts were absolutely not committed by the Cambodian people.

Consequently, the United States and the United Kingdom have stepped in to sanction the Chinese international criminal enterprise Prince, and its chairman, Tian Zhi, is reported to be in hiding. This chairman, Tian Zhi, was a political advisor to Hun Sen. And some of the Chinese criminals are Korean-Chinese who can communicate with us.

Now, Korea is also considering cutting its official development assistance to Cambodia by 430 billion won. A joint response team has been dispatched. Lee Jae-myung must immediately prevent visa-free entry for Chinese nationals and the influx of Korean-Chinese. They are the culprits.

The more I think about it, the more anger surges towards Cambodia, given the surge in crimes targeting Koreans despite receiving so much aid. The fact that abductions are planned as soon as Korean is heard on the street means we cannot continue to defend Cambodia indefinitely.

Furthermore, when I heard the Cambodian authorities announce, 'Why do you fall for employment scams? Why are you deceived and come here? You should educate your citizens better,' I couldn't believe the shamelessness. It implies that the fault lies with the Koreans, does it not? Such ingratitude is unthinkable. The statement that 'they are also victims' seems to stem from the Cambodian government being in cahoots with the criminals.

Therefore, we can infer how much the Cambodian government has been underestimating the Republic of Korea. If they have viewed us as easy targets, it would be best to dispatch troops on this occasion and deal with them so severely that the world is appalled. Koreans should be made so that even mafias, triads, or yakuza dare not lay a hand on them. Toppling the regime of Hun Sen and his son, Hun Manet, could also be a solution to the problem.

Lee Jae-myung will likely focus on Cambodia for the time being, if only to escape the 'Kim Hyun-ji Gate'. All media, including newspapers and broadcast stations, are currently flooded with stories about Cambodia to divert the public's attention. This is creating yet another problem.

The people in the neighborhood where Hanguk Gaettong-i lives, and his wife's family, were not like this. They were diligent people who were affectionate even in their words and content with even the smallest things. While operating the car wash, I never heard a single shout among the countless people who came and went.

When it was mango season, they picked mangoes, and when durian season arrived, they went around to buy delicious durians, yet it was a place in Cambodia where there were no loud arguments over bargaining.

When returning to Korea, our Gaettong-i family offered comfort and care to neighbors who had gone to Korea to earn money. Gaettong-i's family, who collects used cars to sell in Cambodia and lives like siblings with the Korean expatriates, is now weeping. Gaettong-i's wife appears to be so shocked that her hands tremble. Gaettong-i Ahjussi has lost the will to live, and the entire family is in shock.

Therefore, while it is right to curse the Chinese and the Cambodian government, please do not curse the Cambodian people. Good people should never be made to cry. Honest and diligent people should not be made to shed tears.

Our Seungju and Jihoon are growing up wonderfully in Cambodia. In the same way, isn't our Gaettong-i's wife also Korean?

Cheer up, Gaettong-i's family!

Cheer up, Cambodia!  

Poet and Columnist, Jeong Jae-hak