South Korea seeks joint autopsy on student tortured to death in Cambodia as tensions rise
Seoul summoned Phnom Penh’s envoy and expressed concern as police move to set up a Korean desk in Cambodia to help victims
The move comes as diplomatic tensions between the two nations escalated over organised crime involving online scams and kidnappings targeting South Korean nationals.
The Gyeongbuk provincial police agency said it will carry out the joint autopsy on the deceased South Korean national in Cambodia together with the National Police Agency’s Forensic Science Unit.
In a preliminary examination, Cambodian police listed the cause of death as cardiac arrest from severe pain due to torture.
“The cause of death cannot be confirmed based on the preliminary examination alone,” a police official told Yonhap News Agency, adding that investigators plan to depart once the schedule is finalised with Cambodian authorities.
The victim, a 22-year-old student from Yecheon, North Gyeongsang province, was found dead in Cambodia in August, two weeks after entering the country for a summer holiday on July 17.