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With an increase in employment frauds and cases of detention affecting South Koreans in Cambodia, the story of a kidnapping experienced by former Vietnam national football team coach Park Hang-seo has gained renewed interest.

Park Hang-seo shared during an appearance on SBS’s *Take Off Your Shoes and Dolsing4Men* in March of last year that he and his wife almost fell victim to a kidnapping.

He said, “We had a four-day break for Vietnam’s Independence Day and went to Cambodia with my wife. It was 11 p.m. when we reached the Vietnam airport. Since there were no taxis available, we looked around, and a young man came up to us, waving his hand.” He added, “However, as soon as we got into the taxi, the music seemed unusual. The driver kept glancing at my wallet. He proposed exchanging Korean and Vietnamese money, which made me feel uneasy.”

Park described the stressful situation: “I knew the way back, but the driver suddenly turned right onto a mountain road. When I asked why he was going that direction, he replied, ‘We’re heading to the office.’ Even after I told him to stop, he continued speeding down an unpaved road.” The vehicle finally came to a halt in an empty lot, and Park remembered saying, “I thought, ‘We’ve been taken here.’ I told my wife to remain calm.”

At that moment, approximately 10 individuals were seated and having tea. Park exited the car, hoping that someone might recognize him. He mentioned, “Someone said, ‘Mr. Park? Park Hang-seo?’ I didn’t catch everything, but it appeared they were instructing the leader to have us leave immediately. The leader arrived and had us taken back.” He continued, “I can now laugh about it, but it was truly unsettling at the time,” as he described the intense incident.

This narrative has come back into focus following a string of crimes targeting South Koreans in Southeast Asian nations. As per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of kidnapping incidents involving South Koreans in Cambodia increased from an average of 10 to 20 cases annually between 2022 and 2023 to 220 cases last year, with 330 cases reported by August this year.

In August, a South Korean university student in his 20s who left home to attend an event in Cambodia was discovered deceased. Cambodian authorities reported the cause of death as “heart attack, severe pain resulting from torture.” Last month, a South Korean man in his 50s was abducted and subjected to torture on the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Foreign Affairs Department raised the travel warning for Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, to a “Special Travel Advisory” effective at 9 p.m. on the 10th. The department said, “We advise our citizens who are planning to go to areas covered by the Special Travel Advisory in Cambodia to cancel or delay their trips unless it’s an essential reason. People already in the area should exercise additional caution to protect their well-being.”

Furthermore, on that day, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun called in the Cambodian ambassador to South Korea and strongly emphasized actions to avoid similar occurrences. Cho Hyun asked for proactive measures to guarantee the security of South Korean nationals and prevent events such as the recent tragedy. It was uncommon for the foreign minister to conduct the summons, which is usually handled by an official at the director-general level.