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Ex-police chief appointed as Korea's top envoy to Cambodia amid online scam turmoil

Published: 28 Nov. 2025, 13:52

Former National Police Agency Commissioner General Kim Chang-yong [YONHAP]

Former National Police Agency Commissioner General Kim Chang-yong has been appointed as Korea's new ambassador to Cambodia, the Foreign Ministry said Friday, amid a rise in online scams targeting Koreans in the Southeast Asian country.

The appointment came as Korea and Cambodia have stepped up joint efforts to combat illegal online scam rings operating in the Southeast Asian nation, involving many Korean workers among other nationals, both as scam operators and as victims of the rings' predatory practices.

The appointment of the former national police chief as Korea's new envoy to Cambodia signals Seoul's intention to further step up efforts to combat such crimes and enhance cooperation with the host country.

Kim, a graduate of the Korean National Police Agency, previously served as head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's public safety bureau, commissioner of the National Police Agency, and consul in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the United States.

Last month, a total of 64 Koreans who had been detained in Cambodia over alleged online scams were brought home by the government on a chartered flight to face criminal probes in Korea. A police unit dedicated to tackling online crimes involving Koreans was installed in Cambodia earlier this month.

On Friday, the foreign ministry also named Jeong Yeon-doo, former ambassador to Turkey, as vice minister responsible for intelligence and North Korean nuclear issues.

Yonhap