Seoul: The interior ministry turned down a request from the foreign ministry last year to bolster police presence at the South Korean Embassy in Cambodia, amid rising crimes against South Koreans, a lawmaker disclosed on Tuesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Rep. Wi Seong-gon of the ruling Democratic Party revealed that documents from both ministries indicated the interior ministry's rejection was based on the assessment that the surge in workload and cases did not justify additional personnel. This comes at a time when reports of South Koreans being abducted and detained in Cambodia due to job scams are increasing. The tragic case of a college student tortured to death has intensified public and governmental concern.

Official data highlights the escalating issue, with crimes against South Koreans in Cambodia jumping from 81 cases in 2022 to 134 in 2023, and reaching 348 last year. In just the first half of this year, there have already been 303 reported incidents.

Currently, the police team at the South Korean Embassy in Phnom Penh includes one official and two assistants, with the assistants having been dispatched in October of last year and last month, respectively.