Cambodia denies report claiming Seoul halted water project amid crimes targeting Koreans
Cambodia’s science ministry has dismissed media reports claiming that a Korea–UNDP water management project was suspended amid security concerns, calling them misleading. The clarification follows a surge in crimes targeting Koreans and intensified cooperation between Seoul and Phnom Penh to fight online scams.
- A South Korea–UNDP water management project in Cambodia has reportedly been suspended amid rising crimes against Koreans, according to a Thai media outlet.
- Cambodia’s Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI) has denied the suspension, condemning media reports as misleading and reaffirming cooperation with Korea.
- The controversy unfolds as both nations intensify joint efforts to combat online scam networks linked to violence against South Koreans in Cambodia.
An international initiative to enhance water management in Cambodia has drawn conflicting reports about its status, amid rising diplomatic tensions linked to a series of crimes targeting Korean nationals.
According to a report by The Nation Thailand on 19 October 2025, South Korea’s state-run Science & Technology Policy Institute (STEPI) postponed a pilot programme under a joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Korea initiative due to safety concerns.
The project was designed to establish a renewable energy-based water supply and management model in Cambodia.
The programme forms part of a broader regional effort to bolster climate resilience in the Mekong River Basin, encompassing Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. STEPI had reportedly planned a formal handover ceremony to Cambodian authorities later this year but decided to delay it indefinitely, while continuing similar activities in neighbouring countries.
However, the Cambodian Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI) issued a statement the same day rejecting the report and condemning what it described as “misleading and unethical reporting.”
The ministry accused The Nation Thailand of inaccurately implying that the water management project had been suspended, calling the article’s title — “” — false and damaging.
According to MISTI, cooperation with STEPI remains “active and unaffected.”
The ministry stated that all joint initiatives, including the Industrial Innovation Cluster study, continue as planned.
It described the Thai media report as “deliberate misinformation” intended to tarnish Cambodia’s reputation and undermine its partnership with South Korea.
MISTI reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, sustainable development, and the continuation of science and technology collaborations. It also urged journalists to verify information through official and credible sources before publication.
The dispute over the project comes against a backdrop of growing bilateral concern over the safety of Korean nationals in Cambodia. Public outrage in South Korea intensified in August 2025, after a 22-year-old university student was reportedly tortured to death by a criminal syndicate linked to online scams operating in Cambodia.
In response, Seoul launched a series of diplomatic and investigative operations, dispatching emergency teams and imposing travel restrictions on high-risk areas.
On 18 October, more than 60 South Koreans held in Cambodian scam centres were repatriated following a rescue operation led by South Korean authorities. Police confirmed that several of the returnees reported being beaten and detained against their will.
Estimates from the United Nations and related agencies indicate that over 100,000 people have been trafficked into online scam compounds in Cambodia, with similar figures reported in Myanmar and Laos. South Korean officials estimate that about 1,000 nationals may still be held in such facilities in Cambodia.
Amid mounting pressure from the public, the governments of Cambodia and South Korea agreed on three concrete measures to combat transnational scam networks.
According to The Khmer Times, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Sokha met with South Korea’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Kim Jina in Phnom Penh on 17 October.
Both sides pledged to enhance coordination, intelligence sharing, and law enforcement cooperation to dismantle cybercrime syndicates operating in the region.
