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The Cambodia human trafficking case has heightened awareness of scam crimes. This is why Korean police and Cambodian police have launched a cross-border joint operation to track down members of scam organizations. However, with media reports emerging that scam organizations have moved their bases to countries such as Thailand and the Philippines and resumed operations, concerns are growing that it may take more time before the matter is fully resolved.

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Sisajournal conducted a written interview on the 26th with Chon Hyeong Hwan, an attorney at Mega-X Law Office, who has closely observed the inner workings of scam crimes. He is representing Koreans who left for Thailand to join scam organizations, were detained and confined by members of those organizations, were later rescued, and then became subject to investigation by local police. The following is a Q&A with Attorney Chon.

What was the age of the youngest client among the victims you met?

“He was 19 years old.”

How did that person become involved in the crime?

“At first, he worked in Korea as a collection and delivery courier. He later moved to an overseas telemarketing team in order to make more money.”

Do you think scam organizations are becoming more sophisticated in the way they lure Korean victims?

“They are actually becoming bolder. In the past, they lured people with phrases such as high-income telemarketing. Recently, however, when people contact them, they openly admit from the beginning that the work is voice phishing. Instead, they actively recruit people by saying that there is no violence, intimidation, or confinement, and that the work is done in a free atmosphere. In reality, it is fair to say that very few victims come purely because they were deceived.”

I heard that some people are asked to pay large penalties as a condition for getting their passports back.

“There are actual cases. There was a victim who paid KRW 7 million and was released, but was abandoned near the Thailand-Cambodia border without getting his passport back. There was also a case where KRW 100 million was demanded, including the cost of a smuggling broker.”

It is said that statements made locally become the basis for investigations in Korea.

“Investigations by police in Southeast Asia are very different from the investigations we see and experience in Korea. They often do not leave formal records such as written interrogation reports and instead simply exchange basic questions and answers. Even if the suspect denies the allegations, they do not press further. They tend to prepare investigation records based on other evidence, such as CCTV footage and communication logs.”

If someone is immediately repatriated to Korea, does that mean local police do not directly investigate the case?

“That is correct. The concepts need to be distinguished. If a person is sent to an immigration detention center locally and then immediately repatriated to Korea, there is no reason for local police to conduct a direct investigation. A representative example is the immediate repatriation of Koreans during the Cambodia incident.”

There have been media reports that local police ask victims for money.

“Local police do not directly demand money. This is because they cannot communicate due to the language barrier. Instead, Korean-speaking interpreters get involved. They say, ‘If you give money to the police, you can be released,’ then swindle large sums of money, give a portion to local police, and keep most of it for themselves.”

Please explain in more detail.

“In Thailand, there are many cases where interpreters directly hire attorneys or act like brokers by handing cases over to Thai attorneys. It is common for interpreters to demand large sums of money through Thai attorneys, saying things like, ‘We can get you released on bail.’ Some are connected with local police and make cases more difficult while demanding increasingly larger amounts of money.”

“Detained Koreans Cannot Be Seen Simply as ‘Victims’”

Are there significant differences between the way local police and Korean police treat victims, or in their investigative procedures?

“One thing must be made clear first: these people cannot be viewed simply as ‘victims.’ Primarily, they are suspects in voice phishing cases, while at the same time being victims of violence, intimidation, and confinement. Therefore, both local and Korean police view them as voice phishing suspects.

Let me give an example of a team leader-level figure in a voice phishing organization who, through his father, reported to the Korean Embassy in Thailand in June that he was being assaulted, confined, and threatened. He was a victim of assault, confinement, and intimidation, but he was still a voice phishing team leader. Ultimately, he was apprehended and punished as a suspect. Those circumstances are only taken into account during sentencing. It may be easier to understand if you think of the cases in which all those repatriated from Cambodia were booked and detained as suspects.”

I heard that if someone is detained in a holding cell, they have to live in poor conditions.

“In the case of holding cells at Thai police stations, they are full of cockroaches and do not provide proper meals. As a result, detainees separately give money to the police and ask them to order food from convenience stores. The hot and humid Southeast Asian weather is another hardship.

Once a person is formally detained, they are transferred to a facility called a ‘Remand Prison,’ which is similar to a detention center in Korea. Around 70 to 100 people are housed in each wing, and each room is used by four to seven people. Dinner is served at 4:30 p.m., after which everyone enters their rooms, and they come out to the housing wing again at 7 a.m. The rooms are used only for sleeping.

The conditions there are even worse than in holding cells, to the extent that cockroaches crawl over people’s bodies while they sleep, and detainees are also forced to shave their heads. The meals are also poor, so detainees buy food using prison deposit money or coffee sticks, which are used as an internal currency.”

Is the local embassy making efforts to provide relief for victims?

“Because these people are participants in voice phishing, I believe the embassy is not actively making relief efforts. At the very least, if someone boarded a plane thinking it was a high-paying part-time job, then based on common experience, they would have had no choice but to know, at least to some extent, that they were going to do voice phishing work. In many cases, they suffer assault and other harsh treatment after their performance at work turns out to be poor.”

Is it virtually impossible to be repatriated to Korea without appointing an attorney?

“If the country in question does not intend to punish the person, repatriation is always the principle. This has nothing to do with whether an attorney has been appointed. A local attorney is necessary only for local criminal proceedings.”

Do you think it is realistically impossible to eradicate scam organizations?

“In order to move the local police, Korean police must carry out operations together with them. From the perspective of the local country, these are crimes involving Koreans and targeting Korean victims, so the reality is that the country has little incentive to use its own policing resources for cases that do not involve its own citizens. Therefore, the issue must be approached from the perspective of international cooperation. I believe one solution is to dispatch Korean police locally, such as through a Korean Desk, so that they can prompt the police of the relevant country to act.”

Is arresting the ringleaders the solution?

“In most cases, the ringleaders are Chinese nationals. Arresting them is important, but it is also necessary to repatriate them to Korea for punishment and, through that process, create a path for compensation for Korean victims.”

There have also been media reports that local police and high-ranking officials in those countries are all connected.

“The fact that Chinese nationals were able to operate voice phishing crime compounds in Cambodia can only be seen as having been made possible not only by local police, but also by the tacit approval of the Cambodian government. This is because Chinese illicit funds have already become a major pillar of Cambodia’s economy. Up to now, it should be viewed as having effectively aided and abetted these activities.”

Do you think this case will be resolved through cooperation between Cambodian and Korean police?

“Considering that Cambodia strongly opposed the installation of a Korean Desk by Korean police in connection with this incident, it is difficult to view the Cambodian public sector as anything other than tacitly aiding and abetting voice phishing. Once this situation quiets down, there is a high possibility that voice phishing will resume in Cambodia.”

Source: Sisajournal, Reporter Lee Tae-jun, “Attorney for Cambodia Detention Victims: ‘Illicit Funds Are a Major Pillar of Cambodia’s Economy… Scam Crimes Will Resume,’” October 27, 2025.
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