Six Chinese jailed for life over Korean student killing

Six Chinese nationals have been handed life sentences in Cambodia after being convicted of murdering a South Korean student linked to an online scam network.

Kampot Provincial Court announced the verdict on Wednesday, finding the men guilty of murder involving torture and cruelty, alongside aggravated fraud. Cambodia does not impose the death penalty, making life imprisonment the harshest penalty available.

The victim, 22‑year‑old Park Min‑ho, was discovered dead in Kampot province in August 2025. Investigators said he had been lured to Cambodia with the promise of work, forced into a scam centre and later killed. His body showed clear signs of torture.

Park’s death sparked outrage in South Korea, where officials pressed Prime Minister Hun Manet to clamp down on the scam industry blamed for the killing. The trial began on 6 May, according to Information Minister Neth Pheaktra.

Cybercrime has flourished across Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar, where casinos often serve as hubs for criminal activity. Victims are frequently trafficked from abroad, tricked with fake job offers and coerced into running “romance” or cryptocurrency scams under near‑slave conditions.

The United Nations has warned that these operations generate vast profits worldwide. Cambodia insists it has accelerated enforcement, pointing to recent extraditions and new legislation. In January, authorities extradited alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi to China, while in March lawmakers unanimously passed tougher laws allowing life sentences for scam operators.

Between January 2025 and May 2026, Cambodia deported nearly 19,000 people from 33 countries and charged more than 1,400 individuals with related crimes.

The verdict is one of the toughest yet against foreign nationals involved in Cambodia’s scam industry. For South Korea, it marks a rare sign that diplomatic pressure may be yielding results in the fight against transnational cybercrime.