PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Six Chinese nationals behind an online scam operation were sentenced to life in prison by a Cambodian court on Wednesday over the murder of a South Korean student. Kampot Provincial Court convicted the six, who are aged between 30 and 54, of murder involving torture and cruelty, as well as aggravated fraud. Cambodia does not have the death penalty.The body of 22-year-old Park Min-ho was found in Kampot province in August 2025 after he was reportedly lured to Cambodia and forced to work in a scam center before being killed. His body, showing signs of torture. Park’s death sparked outrage in South Korea, leading to intense diplomatic pressure from South Korean officials on Prime Minister Hun Manet to suppress the large-scale online scam operation s blamed for the killing, as well as other crimes.The trial began on May 6, according to a court statement shared by Information Minister Neth Pheaktra.
Cybercrime has flourished in Southeast Asia where law enforcement is weak, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar, with casinos often serving as hubs for criminal activity. Trafficked foreign nationals employed to run “romance” and cryptocurrency scams to swindle victims are often recruited with false job offers and then forced to work in conditions of near-slavery.
