South Korean police plan to conduct a joint autopsy with Cambodian authorities on a Korean college student who was kidnapped and allegedly tortured to death, officials said on Sunday, amid rising concerns over similar crimes against Koreans in the Southeast Asian country.
Advertisement
The move comes as diplomatic tensions between the two nations escalated over organised crime involving online scams and kidnappings targeting South Korean nationals.
The Gyeongbuk provincial police agency said it will carry out the joint autopsy on the deceased South Korean national in Cambodia together with the National Police Agency’s Forensic Science Unit.
In a preliminary examination, Cambodian police listed the cause of death as cardiac arrest from severe pain due to torture.
“The cause of death cannot be confirmed based on the preliminary examination alone,” a police official told Yonhap News Agency, adding that investigators plan to depart once the schedule is finalised with Cambodian authorities.
Advertisement
The victim, a 22-year-old student from Yecheon, North Gyeongsang province, was found dead in Cambodia in August, two weeks after entering the country for a summer holiday on July 17.