Four South Koreans Detained in Cambodia Repatriated Yesterday... Local Court Approves Joint Autopsy

It has been confirmed that out of 63 South Koreans detained in Cambodia, four returned to Korea on national flag carriers on the 14th.

According to the police and other authorities on the 15th, the police repatriated four South Koreans who had been detained by the Cambodian Immigration Department on the previous day, using two national flag carrier flights, including Korean Air.

These individuals were reportedly apprehended during a crackdown by Cambodian police on a crime complex. Some of them are subject to Interpol Red Notices after the Korean police obtained arrest warrants.

The police announced that they plan to bring back all 63 South Koreans currently detained locally within a month. With four having returned, 59 remain in Cambodia.

Under the Aviation Security Act, a maximum of two criminal suspects can board each national flag carrier flight. With two national flag carrier flights operating daily between Cambodia and South Korea, up to four individuals can be repatriated per day.

Afternoon of the 14th (local time), a building presumed to be a crime complex located in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The government is reportedly considering deploying a chartered flight to bring back the detained South Koreans all at once. A police official stated, "It is true that repatriations have begun sequentially, but large-scale repatriation via chartered flight has not been finalized due to many local variables."

Meanwhile, the local Cambodian court has given final approval for a joint autopsy on a South Korean university student who died after being tortured. The Korean police plan to visit Cambodia with the National Forensic Service to conduct the joint autopsy as soon as a specific schedule is set.