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[Cambodia: A Nation of Crime] Part 3: Where lies the safety of foreign tourists?
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Uzbekistan on the path to sustainable development
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Foreign Minister Cho holds talks with Swedish Foreign Minister Stenergard
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[Cambodia: A nation of crime] Part 1: Cambodia's true colors - A tourist destination stained with blood
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Nami Island showcases Peruvian culture during “Peru Week” celebration
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![[Special Column] Cambodia, a Buddhist nation: The land of compassion became a den of crime](//www.unjournal.kr/data/cache/public/photos/20251043/art_1760940899759_26e1e5_479x270_c0.jpg)
[Special Column] Cambodia, a Buddhist nation: The land of compassion became a den of crime
“What's more terrifying than criminals is the silent power behind them.” “From a tourist paradise to a criminal hell.”
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young Cambodia declares that over 95% of its people practice Theravada Buddhism, establishing compassion and the Middle Way as the nation's fundamental principles. Yet today's Cambodia is transforming into a nation where greed prevails over compassion, and corruption over the Middle Way. In recent years, crimes like foreigner abductions, human trafficking, online gambling, and drug dealing have surged, effectively turning the country into a hotbed of crime. Criminals collude with public officials, the law becomes powerless before money, and the victims are always foreigners. The land of compassion has now become a “lawless land masked by the name of Buddhism.” In September 2025, dozens of foreign passports were discovered in a pile at a garbage collection site in downtown Phnom Penh. Passports from multiple countries—South Korea, Japan, China, Thailand—were mixed together, with a significant number bearing Korean names. Local media reported, “It appears criminal organizations seized passports from foreigners involved in human trafficking or online gambling, or collected them through fake employment agencies before discarding them.” According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as of 2025, over 350 cases of lost or stolen South Korean passports were reported in Cambodia, accounting for more than 20% of all lost passport reports from overseas citizens. A passport is not merely an ID card. It is the ‘right to life’ of a citizen, guaranteed by the state. The fact that these passports spilled out of a roadside trash bin is not merely an administrative failure; it is an insult to national sovereignty. The more serious problem is the silence of the powerful who condone or aid such crimes. Evidence continues to emerge that some local police, customs officials, and local government employees colluded with criminal organizations, passing on investigative information or protecting perpetrators. More frightening than the criminals themselves are the powerful who remain silent. If a government that claims to be a Buddhist nation cannot discipline officials mired in greed, that country is no longer a “nation of law.” The international community is asking the Cambodian government: “If it is a land of compassion, why does it fail to extend that compassion to crime victims?” A country where victims, not criminals, must flee has already lost its justice. Just a decade ago, Cambodia was hailed as Southeast Asia's hidden gem, a pilgrimage site for backpackers. But now foreigners say, “It wasn't paradise, it was a trap.” Over the past three years, crimes targeting foreigners have surged by over 400%, and the local labor market has seen a diversification of international crimes, including fake job placements, confinement-style labor exploitation, and forced drug trafficking. This is the reality: tourists are kidnapped, expatriates are threatened, and even when reporting to the police, they are asked for ‘settlement money.’ Is this truly the face a Buddhist nation should show the world? A ‘belated response’ after incidents occur can no longer be tolerated. The Korean government must urgently pursue establishing a permanent ‘Overseas Korean Safety Center’ in Cambodia, dispatching joint cooperation officers between local and Korean police, and concluding a criminal judicial cooperation agreement. Furthermore, establishing ‘Buddhist humanitarian shelters’ in collaboration with Buddhist temples in Cambodia, where foreign crime victims and workers can temporarily seek refuge, could become a new model for practicing Buddhist compassion. Above all, “diplomatic power that prevents incidents from occurring” – that is, Prevention Diplomacy – is essential. Safety is not the result of post-incident measures, but of prior commitments. Korea has a saying: “The state protects its citizens' lives wherever they are.” Yet this promise often crumbles on the streets of Cambodia. Now, diplomacy, Buddhism, and civil society must step forward together. To build a crime-free Buddhist nation where foreigners can feel secure, we must establish a Global Safety Net. For Cambodia to stand again as a true Buddhist nation, the first step must begin not with grand development projects, but with ‘respect for life’. A passport discarded in a trash can is a symbol of discarded human dignity and Buddhist compassion. Now, Cambodia must pick up that passport again. For it is not merely a single passport, but a single life, a single faith, and the honor of a nation. Damwhachongsa “The Buddha's compassion begins with the tears of the weak.”
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U.S. Acting Ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun to be replaced
Kevin Kim, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, likely to succeed Yun
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province on October 31, the Donald Trump administration is replacing Joseph Yun, the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in South Korea. Appointed by former U.S. President Joe Biden, Yun was named to the position on January 10, ten days before President Trump's term began. According to diplomatic sources, Kevin Kim, the U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is being considered as his successor. This marks the second time in just nine months since the Trump administration took office that a Chargé d'Affaires, rather than a formal ambassador, has been appointed, a situation considered unusual in U.S.-South Korea diplomatic relations. According to diplomatic circles, Chargé d'Affaires Yun will step down around October 26 after completing his approximately nine-month assignment. He reportedly recently informed acquaintances of this fact. Yoon, a Korean-American, previously served in the Obama administration as the State Department's Special Representative for North Korea Policy and as the chief U.S. negotiator in the Six-Party Talks aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear issue. His successor is understood to be Deputy Assistant Secretary Kim, who handles Korean Peninsula affairs at the State Department. Kim previously served as a staffer for Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and worked in the Office of the Special Representative for North Korea Policy at the State Department during Trump's first term from 2018 to 2020. He worked alongside former Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Biegun, who served as Deputy Secretary of State, and was involved in the practical aspects of U.S. diplomacy toward North Korea, including the U.S.-North Korea summits. He is also reported to have played a key role in communications with the South Korean government ahead of the South Korea-U.S. summit last August.
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Justice Minister Chung Sung-ho meets with UNHCR high commissioner
They share concern over global refugee crisis
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Justice Chung Sung-ho met with Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at the Gwacheon Government Complex on October 17. They emphasized the importance of solidarity and responsibility-sharing within the international community to resolve the global refugee crisis and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation. Minister Jeong stated, “Since acceding to the Refugee Convention in 1992, Korea has actively participated in refugee protection as a responsible member of the international community, including enacting Asia's first Refugee Act in 2012 and implementing it since 2013.” He added, “We will continue to contribute to overcoming the global refugee crisis through cooperation with UNHCR.” High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said, “I express deep gratitude to the Republic of Korea for its long-standing, unwavering support and solidarity with UNHCR in addressing global refugee challenges. With the refugee crisis now severe, affecting approximately 120 million forcibly displaced people, we hope the Republic of Korea will continue its active interest and support in expanding various refugee admission pathways, including resettlement and student refugees (Education Pathways).” In response, Minister Chung stated, “Through the resettlement program initiated in 2015, a total of 268 individuals have found new homes in our country to date,” adding, “We plan to continue operating this program going forward.” He added, “Through the Student Refugee Higher Education Program, two participants are currently pursuing their studies at domestic universities. We will closely cooperate with the UNHCR on complementary pathways, including the Student Refugee Higher Education Program.” Both sides shared the recognition of the importance of policies supporting social integration, enabling harmonious coexistence between citizens and refugees, not just refugee acceptance. They agreed to jointly explore cooperation measures, including studying advanced overseas cases related to supporting the social integration and settlement of refugees.
![[Special Column] Cambodia, a Buddhist nation: The land of compassion became a den of crime](http://www.unjournal.kr/data/cache/public/photos/20251043/art_1760940899759_26e1e5_479x270_c0.jpg)
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- [Cambodia: A Nation of Crime] Part 3: Where lies the safety of foreign tourists?
- [Cambodia: A Nation of Crime] Part 2: An absent state, powerless diplomacy... Where was the government?
