The presidential office in Seoul on Monday urged government ministries to take action to swiftly bring back South Korean nationals who have been forcibly held in Cambodia after being lured by fraudulent job offers and other scams.

The call came as crimes targeting South Koreans in Cambodia have drawn growing public attention amid a rapid increase and mounting damage in recent years.

Concerns intensified after the body of a university student in his 20s was found in Cambodia in early August. Cambodian police determined he died of cardiac arrest that had followed torture and severe physical pain. His remains have yet to be repatriated to his grieving family in South Korea, fueling public criticism.

South Korean national security adviser Wi Sung-lac convened the first interagency task force meeting on Monday afternoon to discuss the current situation, interagency coordination measures and future plans. Officials from the Foreign Ministry, Justice Ministry and Korean National Police Agency were in attendance.

During the meeting, Wi"emphasized, above all, the swift repatriation of Korean nationals," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said following the meeting.

"(Wi) urged authorities to take countermeasures without delay, stating that the repatriation of our nationals who are in danger should be carried out swiftly on humanitarian grounds, although it is only natural to hold those involved in unlawful acts accountable," Kang told reporters.

"(Wi) also stressed the need to consider phased repatriation if necessary," Kang said.

Kang further explained that Wi “urged authorities to promptly repatriate as many nationals as quickly as possible, prioritizing those who can be returned first if full repatriation is not feasible.”

The meeting also"discussed dispatching Korean investigative officials to Cambodia to coordinate investigations with local authorities and to inspect the situation regarding the rescue of our nationals in order to prevent the spread of further harm on the ground," Kang added.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun faced sharp questioning during an annual audit by the National Assembly over his ministry’s failure to take adequate steps to prevent such incidents in Cambodia.

"First of all, I express my deepest remorse to the public over the tragic incident that occurred in Cambodia," Cho told lawmakers during the televised audit session."The Foreign Ministry is making every effort to resolve the matter as swiftly as possible."

“We will devise and implement decisive measures and take the necessary actions in coordination with the Cambodian government,” Cho said.

Repeatedly asked to specify what the “decisive measures” entailed, Cho disclosed, “We’ve been in consultations with Cambodia to arrange the return of all South Korean nationals via flight, by dispatching our personnel to assist on-site.”

Cho further explained that the Foreign Ministry"has been in contact with" those seeking to return.

Cho also revealed that some South Korean nationals have refused to cooperate with the government’s efforts to bring them back.

“There is a practical problem in that some individuals are not cooperating,” Cho said when asked during the audit whether the Foreign Ministry should deploy an aircraft chartered by the Air Force to repatriate them.

Cho also provided an affirmative response, saying, “I will consider that option,” when repeatedly pressed on whether he would fly to Cambodia tomorrow.

The ambassadorial post in Cambodia has remained vacant since former Ambassador Park Jung-wook left his position on July 17.

According to data from the Foreign Ministry, the number of kidnapping and confinement cases involving South Koreans reported in Cambodia has increased sharply over the past five years.

The numbers rose from just two cases in 2021 to 11 in 2022, 21 in 2023 and 221 in 2024. By August, this year's total already marked 330 cases.

In the larger Asia-Pacific region, the ministry reported 273 such cases in 2024 and 376 as of August this year. Cambodia alone made up about 81 percent of all reported cases in 2024 and nearly 88 percent in 2025.

Many voice phishing and romance scam syndicates that used to operate in the region known as the “Golden Triangle,” where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet, have moved their bases to Cambodia. This shift has led to a significant increase in job-fraud schemes and cases of confinement targeting South Koreans in Cambodia.

Seoul has intensified efforts to tackle the rise in crimes victimizing South Koreans in Cambodia, including acting police Chief Yoo Jae-seong’s high-level talks with his Cambodian counterparts, set for Oct. 23 in Seoul.

Minister Cho Hyun also summoned Cambodian Ambassador to Seoul Khuon Phon Rattanak on Friday to urge the Cambodian government to “take swift and substantial measures to eradicate online scams.”

Later that evening, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul upgraded its travel advisory for Phnom Penh from Level 2, which advised travelers to be cautious, to a special travel warning.