Seoul halts water-management support project in Cambodia
A South Korean water project in Cambodia has been suspended following a surge in crimes targeting South Koreans.
An international water resource management project in Cambodia has been temporarily suspended following a spate of violent crimes targeting South Koreans, according to a report released on Sunday (October 19) by South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI).
The project, a joint initiative between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the South Korean government, aims to strengthen the resilience of communities along the Mekong River basin, an area highly vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change. Participating countries include Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
In Cambodia, STEPI had launched a pilot scheme to develop a renewable energy–based model for water supply and management in collaboration with South Korean firms.
However, the institute said it had decided to postpone the official handover ceremony to the Cambodian government, originally planned for this year. The Cambodian component will remain on hold, while related projects in other participating countries will continue as scheduled.
Tensions between South Korea and Cambodia have risen in recent months following a series of crimes targeting South Korean nationals, most notably the brutal killing of a South Korean university student who was tortured to death by an online scam ring in August, a case that sparked public outrage in South Korea.
In response, the South Korean government has intensified diplomatic coordination, launched investigations, and dispatched special task forces to locate and rescue nationals believed to be detained by criminal networks.
On Saturday, more than 60 South Koreans who had been held in Cambodia were repatriated to Seoul after a government emergency response team conducted on-site rescue operations.
