SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia—Two South Korean nationals, identified as A (20s) and B (30s), have recounted their horrific ordeal as victims of forced labor and severe torture inside organized crime compounds in Cambodia. Their rescue after nearly six months highlights the brutal human cost of Southeast Asia’s booming online scam industry, which routinely uses deception and violence to enslave foreign workers.
The two men were lured to Sihanoukville six months ago by online advertisements promising high-paying jobs. Upon arrival, they were immediately forced to participate in voice phishing scams. When A attempted to quit, he was transferred to a crime compound, known locally as a 'wench,' in Poipet, near the Thai border, and his nightmare began.
Electrocution, Beatings, and 'Animal' Treatment
A described being immediately handcuffed to the ceiling of a torture room. "They used an electric shock device to scorch my entire body and beat me mercilessly with a metal pipe," he stated, recalling a level of pain where he couldn't even scream. After he passed out, Chinese managers would revive him with water and resume the electrocution.
For a month, A was confined to the cell, given minimal food, and denied basic necessities like access to a toilet. He noted a stark contrast in treatment compared to Chinese captives: "We were treated like animals. At least they (the Chinese captives) were treated like people."
B was later brought to the same Poipet compound after his fourth unsuccessful escape attempt. The Chinese managers routinely subjected the two Koreans to verbal abuse, referring to them derogatorily as "Han-gwo" (a Chinese pronunciation of 'Korea').
Witnessing Murder and Ingenious Escape
The terror peaked when a fellow Chinese captive in the same torture room was brutally beaten to death after attempting an escape. B recounted how the captive was overwhelmed by about ten security guards armed with clubs. A was then forced to clean the blood-spattered walls and floor. "The smell of blood stayed on my hands for a week," he said, revealing the psychological trauma. The horrific sight shattered any remaining hope of a violent escape.
The two were eventually forced back to work in a Sihanoukville compound after being promised repatriation if they generated "1 billion won in sales" combined.
Despite constant surveillance—including Wi-Fi systems that allowed managers to monitor all data transfers—A successfully engineered an ingenious escape. After being given a PC for work, he accessed a portal site and saved photos of their location and condition in his "Mail to Myself" inbox. This method, accessible only with a password and not generating a detectable transmission, bypassed the internal surveillance. He then relayed his email credentials to his brother and the office of a Korean lawmaker, Park Chan-dae, through a covert online channel.
Following this desperate act, A and B were successfully rescued by local police on September 29, ending their 160-day ordeal.
Widespread Crisis Spurs Government Action
The horrifying testimonies of A and B come amidst a surge in reports of human trafficking and abuse targeting foreign nationals in Cambodia. Global organizations, including Amnesty International, have documented widespread slavery, torture, and forced labor in over 50 scam compounds across the country, often run by transnational crime syndicates. The US and UK recently sanctioned alleged ringleaders of these operations, highlighting their global reach.
In response to a rising number of cases, including the alleged torture death of another South Korean student, the South Korean government has ramped up diplomatic efforts. Seoul has issued a "code-black" travel ban for high-risk areas like Poipet and Sihanoukville, urging citizens to avoid being lured by the false promise of high-paying jobs in the region. A and B are currently cooperating with Cambodian authorities in Sihanoukville as they finalize their repatriation procedures.
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