South Korean man escaped from Cambodia's fraud park and went to the embassy for help for 12 hours. He was refused entry. He pleaded many times but failed. The staff involved has submitted his resignation
“Please let me go in and hide, even if I can stay in the parking lot.” he repeatedly cried to the doorblock, and the voice became loud because of fear.
The employee at the end of the phone had only a cold response: "The embassy only opened at eight o'clock, now can not enter."
These two hours of waiting seemed like half a lifetime.
He didn't dare to stay away from the gate, and he was afraid of being targeted by strangers passing by, so he could only shrink in the corner and stare at the way he came from. Previously, in the fraud park in Westport, he had seen people who had escaped and been caught being beaten by electric shock. When he thought of those scenes, the cold sweat in his palms never broke.
In fact, he tried to contact the embassy before fleeing, but the other party asked for the specific location and photos. With his mobile phone confiscated and under constant surveillance, he could not do so. He could only risk his life and rush out and linger outside for two hours. Finally, he entered the embassy.
After the incident was exposed, Korean netizens blew up the pot. Some people scolded "this is from ruin" on social platforms, while others initiated the topic of "consular protection failure".
After all, everyone knows that in Cambodia, scam parks and some law enforcement officers are unknown, and victims can fall into their mouths every second after they escape. Last year, a 22-year-old South Korean university student, who was sold to the park after being killed alive, was beaten by sticks and electric punishment before death, and the body was all wounded.
Data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea show that in the first eight months of 2025, agencies stationed in Cambodia received 330 reports of citizens being deceived and kidnapped, 110 more than in the whole of 2024, and only 4 cases in 2021.
Most of these victims were deceived by false recruitment with a monthly salary of tens of millions of won. Their passports were confiscated as soon as they landed. They were forced to work 15 hours a day to engage in fraud, and they were beaten if they disobeyed.
Due to pressure from the public, two embassy officials resigned, and the Foreign Ministry apologized for improving the system to ensure that off-office hours can also be helped.
Some survivors returned home and said that even if they slept at home, they would dream of being captured back in Cambodia every night, let alone those who have not yet escaped, they may be staring at the recruitment information in their phones, thinking they found a way out, in fact, entered the abyss.
Now the South Korean government is negotiating with Cambodia to set up a “Korean service station”, and wants to send more police personnel to cheat the interests behind the park, and even news that local governments are involved in it.
Hopefully the ban of the embassy can follow the urgency of human life sooner, after all, for refugees, opening the door a second earlier, may be the difference between life and death.
“Please let me go in and hide, even if I can stay in the parking lot.” he repeatedly cried to the doorblock, and the voice became loud because of fear.
The employee at the end of the phone had only a cold response: "The embassy only opened at eight o'clock, now can not enter."
These two hours of waiting seemed like half a lifetime.
He didn't dare to stay away from the gate, and he was afraid of being targeted by strangers passing by, so he could only shrink in the corner and stare at the way he came from. Previously, in the fraud park in Westport, he had seen people who had escaped and been caught being beaten by electric shock. When he thought of those scenes, the cold sweat in his palms never broke.
In fact, he tried to contact the embassy before fleeing, but the other party asked for the specific location and photos. With his mobile phone confiscated and under constant surveillance, he could not do so. He could only risk his life and rush out and linger outside for two hours. Finally, he entered the embassy.
After the incident was exposed, Korean netizens blew up the pot. Some people scolded "this is from ruin" on social platforms, while others initiated the topic of "consular protection failure".
After all, everyone knows that in Cambodia, scam parks and some law enforcement officers are unknown, and victims can fall into their mouths every second after they escape. Last year, a 22-year-old South Korean university student, who was sold to the park after being killed alive, was beaten by sticks and electric punishment before death, and the body was all wounded.
Data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea show that in the first eight months of 2025, agencies stationed in Cambodia received 330 reports of citizens being deceived and kidnapped, 110 more than in the whole of 2024, and only 4 cases in 2021.
Most of these victims were deceived by false recruitment with a monthly salary of tens of millions of won. Their passports were confiscated as soon as they landed. They were forced to work 15 hours a day to engage in fraud, and they were beaten if they disobeyed.
Due to pressure from the public, two embassy officials resigned, and the Foreign Ministry apologized for improving the system to ensure that off-office hours can also be helped.
Some survivors returned home and said that even if they slept at home, they would dream of being captured back in Cambodia every night, let alone those who have not yet escaped, they may be staring at the recruitment information in their phones, thinking they found a way out, in fact, entered the abyss.
Now the South Korean government is negotiating with Cambodia to set up a “Korean service station”, and wants to send more police personnel to cheat the interests behind the park, and even news that local governments are involved in it.
Hopefully the ban of the embassy can follow the urgency of human life sooner, after all, for refugees, opening the door a second earlier, may be the difference between life and death.