| South Korean acting Ambassador to Cambodia Kim Hyun-soo arrives at Tuktla Temple in Phnom Penh on Monday morning to observe the joint autopsy of a Korean college student found murdered after being kidnapped by an organized crime group. (Yonhap) |
| South Korean forensic officials unload equipment from a vehicle at Tuktla Temple in Phnom Penh on Sunday morning as they prepare to begin on-site procedures. (Yonhap) |
| A South Korean forensic team member transports equipment into the morgue area at Tuktla Temple in Phnom Penh on Monday as preparations for the autopsy get underway. (Yonhap) |
According to Korean media reports, initial inspection found no evidence suggesting any of the internal organs were removed or damaged, contrary to speculation in South Korea about possible organ harvesting. Official findings about the cause of death are to be relayed to Korean authorities later through formal diplomatic channels.
The victim, surnamed Park, had been missing since July. His body was discovered on Aug. 8 in a vehicle near Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province, a region tied to organized cybercrime operations targeting foreign nationals. Cambodian police reported extensive signs of torture at the time of recovery. The body has since been kept at the Tuktla Temple morgue.
Monday’s joint procedure was conducted by investigators from both countries. According to South Korea’s National Police Agency, seven officials, including a forensic pathologist from Korea's National Forensic Service, flew from Incheon to Phnom Penh on Sunday and entered the morgue Monday morning carrying autopsy equipment.
| Cambodian forensic police stand near the morgue area at Tuktla Temple in Phnom Penh on Monday to maintain security during the investigation. (Yonhap) |
Cambodian authorities deployed around 50 personnel to secure the site.
With the long-delayed autopsy now complete, Park's body will be cremated at the temple and repatriated to Korea.
Park's case has become a flashpoint in South Korea, where outrage has mounted over a surge in human trafficking incidents involving young Koreans lured abroad by fake job ads. According to South Korean police, 330 kidnapping cases were reported in the first eight months of this year alone, up from 220 in all of 2024 and fewer than 20 annually before then.
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