(MENAFN) South Korea has imposed its highest-level travel ban on several areas in Cambodia following disturbing reports of its citizens being kidnapped, tortured, and even killed by criminal groups, local media reported Wednesday.

The Foreign Ministry announced that a Level 4 travel ban—the most severe in its four-tier warning system—has been enacted for Bokor Mountain in Kampot province and the cities of Bavet and Poipet.

In addition, South Korean nationals in Sihanoukville province have been strongly urged to leave the area due to a “high concentration of criminals,” the ministry said.

Seoul’s decision follows a series of abductions involving South Korean citizens lured into job scam networks operating in Cambodia. These operations have increasingly turned violent, authorities warned.

In a particularly harrowing case in August, a 22-year-old university student, Park Min-ho, was found dead near Bokor Mountain. He had been kidnapped and tortured by a gang, officials said. Cambodian police later arrested three Chinese nationals in connection with his murder and their alleged involvement in online fraud schemes.

Further escalating concerns, media reported that a South Korean woman was discovered dead on October 7 near the Vietnam-Cambodia border, according to local police. An autopsy was conducted before her remains were handed over to her family for cremation. South Korean police have launched an investigation into the case.

In response to the worsening situation, the presidential office in Seoul announced Tuesday that it will dispatch a joint response team to Cambodia to coordinate efforts in protecting Korean nationals and tackling transnational crime.

Meanwhile, a Foreign Ministry official confirmed that, as of Tuesday, around 80 South Koreans tied to job scam operations in Cambodia remain missing or their safety cannot be verified.

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