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Koreans canceling trips to Cambodia, other Southeast Asian countries

Published: 15 Oct. 2025, 16:19 Updated: 15 Oct. 2025, 17:12

In this photo provided by state news service Agence Kampuchea Press, alleged online scammers stand next to their tools collected by authorities at its site in a classroom on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, July 18, 2025. [AP/YONHAP]

Park Young-su, a 46-year-old office worker, had planned a family trip to Da Nang, Vietnam, for this winter. But after reading a series of news reports about recent kidnapping cases in Cambodia, Park changed plans.

“I heard that criminal organizations are moving from Cambodia to Vietnam,” Park said. “I was planning to go with my elementary and middle school-aged kids, but safety is a big concern now. We’re thinking about going to Jeju Island or Japan instead.”

Fears surrounding not just Cambodia but neighboring Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Laos are spreading, leading to mass cancellations in the travel industry. A person in their 50s surnamed Son, who had planned a golf trip with friends to Phnom Penh this December, said, “It’s a waste to lose the cancellation fee, but I just can’t bring myself to go to Cambodia right now.”

Similar concerns are surfacing in online communities that share Southeast Asia travel information. One user wrote, “I was planning to take my child to Angkor Wat for a history lesson, but I’ll have to give up on that for now.” Other posts followed: “We booked a family trip to Phu Quoc in Vietnam with our baby for October, but now that there are reports of kidnappings there too, I’m seriously considering canceling even with the penalty,” and “I’m supposed to go to Laos in January, but now I’m really anxious since so many people are canceling.”

On Oct. 10, Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised its travel advisory for 11 regions in Cambodia — including Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province — from Level 2 “Exercise Caution” to Level 2.5 “Special Travel Alert.” The ministry advised canceling or postponing visits unless urgent.

The travel advisory map of Cambodia issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

Local governments and civic groups are also scaling back or canceling plans for delegations and volunteers stationed in Cambodia. Gyeonggi provincial government decided to bring back its Youth Climate Envoy team — consisting of 34 people — earlier than the originally scheduled return date of Oct. 28. The team, composed of Gyeonggi residents aged 19 to 39, had been sent to Cambodia to engage in environmental volunteer work such as tree planting, public cleanups, education and climate campaigns.

The Suwon city government, which had sent a volunteer group annually to its sister city Siem Reap, has decided not to dispatch anyone this year. The Gyeonggi Social Workers’ Association also announced it is temporarily suspending plans to send an overseas volunteer team to Cambodia in February. Incheon city, which was planning to send its “Incheon Youth Global Medical Volunteer Group” to Cambodia in December, has halted recruitment.

Travel industry insiders said new bookings are likely to remain stagnant for the time being. “The December to February period is peak season, so we should be receiving reservations,” said one small agency specializing in Cambodia tours. “But since the news came out last week, not a single new booking has come in. Even people who already booked are calling to ask if it’s still safe to go, and we’re busy trying to reassure them that tourist areas remain safe.”

Major travel agencies are also expressing concern over the growing anxiety about Southeast Asia. “So far, we haven’t seen a significant drop in bookings for destinations other than Cambodia,” said one travel company representative. “But we’re watching the situation closely.” Another agency said, “Since these are package tours, we only go to safe areas. But to reassure travelers, our guides are instructed to repeatedly emphasize safety precautions during the trip.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUN YUL, CHOI MO-RAN [[email protected]]