According to police and the victim’s family on October 10, the young man, identified only as A, left his home in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province on July 17, telling his family he was traveling to Cambodia to attend an exhibition, Korea Times reported.
About a week later, the family received a phone call from a man speaking with a Chinese-Korean accent, who demanded 50 million won (approximately USD 35,000) for A’s release. “A has caused trouble here and is being detained. Send the money, and we will let him go,” the caller threatened.
The family immediately contacted the Cambodian Embassy and local authorities, but they were unable to determine A’s whereabouts. Contact with the kidnappers was cut off just four days later.
On August 8, A’s body was discovered near Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province, the area where he had reportedly been held. The Cambodian Embassy and local officials confirmed that the cause of death was cardiac arrest resulting from torture and extreme pain.
Despite confirmation of the cause of death, A’s remains have yet to be repatriated to South Korea. Due to local autopsy and cremation procedures, the family expects to bring him home only by the end of the month.
“My brother’s death certificate clearly states he died from cardiac arrest caused by torture. Just thinking about the suffering he endured keeps us awake at night. His body is still in a cold storage unit in Cambodia. It feels like he’s being killed again every day,” one relative said.
On October 16, photos and personal information of Li Guangho, one of the gang members accused of kidnapping and torturing the victim, were shared across platforms such as Telegram.
According to reports, Li was born in 1991 in Hunchun, Jilin Province, China, and is of ethnic Korean descent. He stands 160 centimeters tall, with a square jaw and short hair. His highest level of education is said to be elementary school.
Cambodian police had previously arrested three Chinese nationals in connection with the case. However, it was later revealed that the main perpetrators were a group of ethnic Koreans from China, led by Li. He is accused of possessing firearms, kidnapping and detaining the victim, and subjecting him to beatings, electric torture, and forced drug use.
Li allegedly called the victim’s family to demand ransom money. A recorded phone call released by JTBC captured Li saying,
“If there’s a problem, you should solve it. We’re not gangsters — we just want our money.”
A survivor who was held captive alongside the victim testified that he overheard Li speaking to the family and witnessed him brutally torturing the student.
“He shocked him with electricity and beat him mercilessly,” the witness said. “His arms, knees, shins, face — every part of his body was bruised black.”
Li is currently on the run, and Cambodian authorities have issued an international wanted notice, tracking his movements in cooperation with regional law enforcement.
Cases of South Korean nationals being kidnapped in Cambodia have surged in recent years. Official figures show incidents rising from 10–20 annually in 2022–2023, to 220 last year, and already 330 cases recorded by August this year alone.
In response, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel advisory on September 17, raising Phnom Penh to Level 2 (reconsider travel) and applying a special Level 2.5 alert for high-risk areas such as Sihanoukville, Bokor Mountain, and Bavet.
Meanwhile, on October 9, Rep. Na Kyung Won of the People Power Party strongly criticized the Lee Jae Myung administration and the ruling Democratic Party, urging immediate countermeasures against the surge in kidnappings of Korean citizens in Cambodia.
Sources: Znews, nate, daum
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