What crimes did the 73 Koreans to be forcibly repatriated tomorrow commit? Minor sex crimes, romance scams, and investment fraud targeting the vulnerable

A total of 73 Korean nationals suspected of involvement in scam-related crimes in Cambodia will arrive at Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 23rd under a forced repatriation measure. This is the largest-ever number of overseas criminal suspects to be brought back to Korea at one time.
Of the 73 Korean suspects to be repatriated, 65 are men and 8 are women. The chartered plane carrying them is scheduled to depart Incheon at 8:45 p.m. on the 22nd and arrive at Incheon International Airport at 9:10 a.m. the following day. The large-scale repatriation operation is reported to have been ordered by President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea.
Under instructions from President Lee Jae-myung, the Special Task Force on Transnational Crimes has been working to bring back suspects who allegedly defrauded 869 Korean victims of about 48.6 billion won, using Cambodia as their base of operations.
Those being repatriated this time include a so-called "romance scam couple fraud ring" that was not returned to Korea in October. They allegedly used deepfake technologies, such as posing as fictitious personas, to swindle about 12 billion won from 104 Korean victims. To evade Korean law enforcement, they are also said to have resorted to plastic surgery to alter their appearance as part of a calculated escape strategy.
Also among those to be returned are some of the worst offenders, including a fugitive who committed sex crimes against minors and then fled to Cambodia, where he joined scam operations. The ringleader of a fraud ring that posed as investment experts and stole about 19.4 billion won from financially vulnerable people, such as young workers and retirees, will also be repatriated. In addition, members of a heinous, inhumane criminal group that held victims captive in scam compounds, used them as hostages to threaten families in Korea, and extorted money will be sent back as well.
Arrest warrants have been issued for all of the suspects being repatriated. They will be handed over to investigative authorities immediately upon arrival in Korea, and the government plans to conduct thorough investigations and bring them to justice.
The Korea-Cambodia Joint Task Force for Koreans dispatched to Cambodia, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and local Cambodian police tracked the suspects over an extended period. They identified seven scam compounds and, in December last year, arrested 51 members of a scam organization in Sihanoukville, 15 in Poipet, and 26 in Mondulkiri Province.
The government determined that leaving serious offenders who caused massive harm to Korean citizens at large overseas would effectively signal tolerance for their flight and raise the risk of repeat offenses in those countries. It has therefore pushed ahead with expedited repatriation procedures. The government also plans to use this repatriation as a starting point to thoroughly track down the criminals' hidden assets and to actively pursue the recovery of criminal proceeds. A government official stated, "Led by the Special Task Force on Transnational Crimes, we will respond firmly until we completely eradicate all types of scam crimes targeting our citizens and based overseas."

rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter