Cambodia's Interior Ministry recently aired a video in which Korean women said, "Cambodia is peaceful and living here makes us happy." After a string of kidnapping and confinement cases targeting Koreans in Cambodia, perceptions of Cambodia worsened, and the ministry appears to have responded.
The Interior Ministry posted two videos featuring two Korean women on social media (SNS) on the 14th.
Hwang Hu-in, who appeared in the video, introduced herself as having lived in Cambodia for 13 years and running a cafe in Phnom Penh. Hwang said, "It has already been 13 years since I started living here," adding, "Although you often hear worrying stories about Cambodia in recent news, the reality of the place where I live every day is very different from that."
She went on, "Cambodians are truly pure and warm people," and "At our cafe, we laugh, work, and build dreams together with local staff."
Hwang said, "Of course, every country has difficulties, but for us, Cambodia still feels peaceful, and people's hearts are full of warmth," adding, "So I find living here truly happy and good."
She said, "What you see in the news is not the whole of this country," and "We live gratefully and peacefully in Cambodia."
In the video posted on the 15th, a Korean woman introduced herself as "Mairigogae, active in Cambodia." She informed Koreans living in Cambodia about fundraising and other efforts to help Cambodians harmed by the border dispute with Thailand.
The woman said, "I believe all Koreans who love Cambodia and live on this land are watching the current situation, which is difficult due to the dispute and damage, with concern," adding, "For Cambodians struggling in the conflict area, you can bring donations such as bottled water and daily necessities to the market."
On the 13th, the Interior Ministry said in a statement, "To effectively eradicate this transnational crime, we must strengthen cooperation between countries," adding, "Emotional responses or shifting blame to other countries only give criminals further opportunities to continue their offenses."
Interior Ministry Spokesperson Tuith Sokhak said in an interview with the Phnom Penh Post, "Online fraud cases targeting Koreans are not exceptional, and some countries are experiencing even more serious crimes."
Sem Sokheng, president of the Cambodia Korean-language Tour Guide Association, told the Phnom Penh Post, "Cambodia is not a dangerous country for general visitors, especially Korean tourists," and claimed, "All of these incidents involve individuals connected to scam rings." He added, "It is unfortunate that a Korean leader did not distinguish between fraud cases and tourism."