Seoul:The South Korean foreign ministry has come under scrutiny for its delayed response to escalating job scam crimes in Cambodia, which have targeted South Koreans. Despite being aware of the deteriorating situation, the ministry did not promptly raise the travel alert for Cambodia, According to state audit agency.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) revealed that the foreign ministry had knowledge since December 2023 of South Koreans falling victim to increasingly brutal job scams and kidnappings in Cambodia. This information was gathered through overseas diplomatic missions and private firms. However, the ministry did not act on suggestions from South Korea's Embassy in Cambodia to raise the travel alert in April and July 2024, citing that the situation did not meet the criteria for a special travel alert.
It was not until August, after media reports highlighted the issue, that the ministry took steps to upgrade the travel alert. The alert was subsequently raised in September following the public revelation of a South Korean student's death at the hands of a Chinese scam ring. The BAI also criticized the ministry for not considering the activation of a task force to protect Korean nationals abroad and failing to hold a meeting on the matter.
The audit agency has advised disciplinary measures against three ministry officials for their inaction. In response, the foreign ministry stated it would review the audit findings and implement measures to prevent future lapses. These measures include issuing travel alerts more promptly and clarifying responsibilities between overseas diplomatic missions and the consular call center.
A ministry official emphasized their active response to transnational crimes and noted a decrease in the number of South Koreans victimized by such crimes in Cambodia, with figures dropping from 386 last year to 19 in the first three quarters of this year.