[26.05.28] Six Chinese Nationals Get Life Sentences in Cambodia Killing of Korean Student

Six Chinese Nationals Sentenced to Life for Torture Killing of Korean Student in Cambodia

📍A Cambodian court sentenced six Chinese nationals to life imprisonment for abducting, torturing, and killing a South Korean college student who had been lured to Cambodia by a voice-phishing organization.

A Cambodian court has sentenced six Chinese gang members to life imprisonment for torturing and killing a South Korean college student inside a criminal compound in Cambodia. Investigators said the victim was lured overseas by a fraudulent job offer linked to a voice-phishing network and was later subjected to prolonged abuse, illegal detention, and violence before his death. Authorities also uncovered evidence of extortion, forced drug use, and organized criminal activity connected to the case.

🔹 Cambodian Court Hands Maximum Sentence to Six Chinese Defendants
According to Cambodian media outlets including the Khmer Times and Phnom Penh Post on May 28 local time, the Kampot Provincial Court sentenced all six Chinese male defendants to life imprisonment.

The men were convicted on charges including murder, torture, and organized fraud, with the court finding all defendants guilty. Since Cambodia abolished capital punishment, life imprisonment is the harshest sentence available under Cambodian law.

The convicted defendants were identified as Li Guanghao, 35, Li Xingfeng, 35, Liu Haoxing, 30, Zhu Renzhe, 44, Yin Songwan, 54, and Jin Tianlong, 45.

In an official statement, the court said the victim “died as a result of severe torture” and that multiple bruises and injuries were found across his body.

The judges added that sufficient evidence existed to convict all six men after reviewing the evidence, facts, and legal arguments presented during the trial.

🔹 Korean College Student Lured to Cambodia by Scam Network
The victim was a South Korean college student in his 20s identified only by his surname Park.

Investigators said Park traveled to Cambodia in July last year after receiving what appeared to be a lucrative overseas job offer. After arriving in the country, however, he was allegedly taken to a criminal compound and forced to participate in online scam operations.

Authorities believe he was subjected to repeated violence and torture after failing to meet performance demands or comply with instructions from the criminal organization.

About three weeks after entering Cambodia, Park was found dead inside a vehicle near Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province on Aug. 8 last year.

Following the discovery of the body, Cambodian police and South Korean authorities launched a joint investigation, treating the case as a homicide.

Autopsy results reportedly showed extensive bruising, external injuries, and signs of prolonged physical abuse.

🔹 Suspects Threatened Victim’s Family and Forced Drug Use
Investigators also uncovered evidence that the suspects extorted and threatened the victim’s family.

Authorities said alleged ringleader Li Guanghao contacted Park’s relatives directly and demanded money, threatening to “sell him overseas” if the family refused to comply.

The suspects were also accused of forcibly injecting methamphetamine into Park and recording videos during the abuse.

South Korean investigators reportedly identified Li through voice analysis of threatening phone calls and recorded footage connected to the case.

Park’s family reportedly learned only later that he had been trapped inside a criminal compound in Cambodia, but were ultimately unable to rescue him.

🔹 Joint Operation Led to Arrests in Phnom Penh
Cambodian police worked together with South Korea’s National Intelligence Service and other Korean investigators to track down the suspects.

Li Guanghao was arrested in Phnom Penh last November during a joint operation. Authorities said three Chinese nationals and five South Koreans were also detained at the scene.

Investigators believe the group operated organized criminal activities inside Cambodian scam compounds, including online financial fraud, voice-phishing operations, illegal detention, and violence.

Authorities also suspect the organization lured foreign nationals, including South Koreans, through fake high-paying job advertisements before forcing them into criminal labor.

🔹 Ringleader Also Linked to Major Drug Crimes in South Korea
Li Guanghao was also connected to other criminal cases in South Korea.

He was identified as an accomplice in the 2023 Gangnam academy district drug case in Seoul and was later caught attempting to smuggle four kilograms of narcotics into South Korea in January 2024.

South Korean authorities issued an arrest warrant against him, and Interpol subsequently placed him on a Red Notice list.

Investigators suspect Li had ties to transnational criminal organizations involved in narcotics trafficking, voice-phishing scams, illegal confinement, and violent crimes across Southeast Asia.

🔹 International Pressure Grows Over Cambodian Scam Compounds
The murder case has intensified international scrutiny over large-scale scam compounds operating in Cambodia.

Governments including the United States and the United Kingdom have recently increased sanctions and pressure targeting organizations and individuals connected to Cambodian online fraud networks.

Many of the compounds, often linked to casino operations, have been accused of imprisoning foreign nationals and forcing them to carry out romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and investment scams.

Facing mounting international criticism, Cambodian authorities have launched a broad crackdown this year.

Officials recently arrested individuals connected to the Prince Group, which has been accused of ties to scam compounds, and transferred some suspects to China.

The Cambodian government said it has prosecuted 1,458 people linked to organized scam networks and deported 18,864 foreign nationals involved in such operations.

Cambodia’s parliament also passed legislation in March allowing courts to impose life sentences for organized scam-related crimes.

One-line summary : Six Chinese gang members were sentenced to life imprisonment in Cambodia for torturing and killing a South Korean college student inside a criminal scam compound.