Seventy-three South Korean nationals detained in Cambodia over alleged scam crimes will be forcibly returned home for investigation. Cheong Wa Dae announced on Thursday that a chartered flight carrying them will depart from Incheon International Airport. They are accused of swindling 486.7 billion won from 869 South Korean victims.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026, during a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul that 73 South Korean nationals detained in Cambodia over alleged scam crimes will be forcibly returned home for investigation.
A chartered flight will depart from Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at 8:45 p.m. and arrive back at 9:10 a.m. on Friday, carrying the suspects. The suspects were rounded up by a joint investigation team comprising South Korean and Cambodian police, as well as the National Intelligence Service, after raiding seven scam compounds in Sihanoukville, Poipet, and Mondulkiri Province in December.
"Arrest warrants have been issued for all of the suspects, and they will be handed over to investigative authorities immediately upon arrival for thorough investigation and judicial proceedings," Kang said. "(The government) plans to confiscate criminal proceeds by tracking down the suspects' concealed assets to the end."
The suspects are members of organized scam syndicates that conducted fake romance and investment schemes, extorting money from family members of people detained at scam centers in Cambodia. Some used deepfake technology to deceive victims and underwent plastic surgery to evade law enforcement. This marks the largest repatriation of criminal suspects in history.
The operation underscores South Korea's efforts to combat transnational crime and protect its citizens from sophisticated scams originating abroad.
