"No Jobs Even Paying $1,000 a Month, Please Don't Come" Missionary Who Rescued Over 50 This Year Appeals

"Sihanoukville Sees Surge in Criminal Organizations, Including Voice Phishing"

A missionary who has rescued dozens of Koreans who fell victim to job scams in Cambodia has urged young Koreans not to be deceived by employment offers, stressing that there are no suitable jobs for young Koreans in the country.

Asia Economy Database

Oh Changsu, the head of the Korean community in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, said on YTN Radio's "Kim Junwoo's News Frontline" on the 13th, "I sincerely want to urge people not to come to Cambodia," adding, "There are hardly any jobs here where Koreans can earn even a thousand dollars, let alone ten million won."

Oh explained, "People are lured by the promise of jobs and end up coming all the way to Southeast Asia, only to be forcibly confined, tortured, and beaten every day," and added, "While rescuing Korean friends is important, I believe it is even more crucial to prevent young Koreans from coming to Cambodia in the first place."

He said, "In the past, I handled about ten rescue cases, but last year there were 30 to 40, and this year already over 50 rescues have taken place," noting, "Most of these people came to Cambodia as victims of employment scams."

Oh pointed out that advertisements on various job search websites claiming "you can earn tens of millions of won in Cambodia" are all false, saying, "In a less developed country like Cambodia, where could you possibly find a job that pays ten million won a month? Realistically, it's impossible to earn that amount, but people are still coming here after falling for these scams."

The Sihanoukville area is Cambodia's second-largest city and was once a resort city with a port. However, the atmosphere began to change with the start of China's Belt and Road Initiative. Large-scale Chinese capital flowed in, casinos were built, and Chinese criminal organizations began to move in as well.

Oh said, "Chinese capital came in and casinos were built alongside it," adding, "In every casino hotel and casino building, there are Chinese mafia groups-sometimes 10 or 20, sometimes dozens in each location." He continued, "Sihanoukville now has the most casinos of any city in the world. Nearly 200 are currently operating," and added, "That's far more casinos than even Las Vegas and Macau combined."

He further explained, "Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of criminal organizations in Cambodia has increased," and "all kinds of online crimes-such as voice phishing, stock scam chat rooms, and romance scams-are taking place in Cambodia and in Sihanoukville, the southern port city where I am located."

Oh said, "These days, even people from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan are coming here to participate in voice phishing and online fraud," and "the ransom for Koreans is the highest because the profits from targeting Koreans with voice phishing are so large." He added, "Initially, Chinese groups sell Koreans for 2,000 to 3,000 dollars (about 2.85 to 4.3 million won), but later they are resold for around 15,000 dollars (about 21.4 million won)," indicating that human trafficking is taking place.

Oh noted that it is difficult to expect the same level of response from Cambodian police as from Korean police, saying, "If a Korean Desk is established and law enforcement agencies from both countries can work together, I believe that various crimes such as voice phishing could be significantly reduced within Cambodia."