Korean-Targeted Human Trafficking for Cyber Scam Operations: How Cambodia-Based Criminal Networks Exploit Korean Vulnerabilities

Human trafficking intersects with cyber scams, yet Korean cases remain underexplored. This study provides an in-depth analysis of Korean-targeted recruitment and exploitation pathways for cyber scam operations in Cambodia. Thematic analysis identified four themes: Korean-targeted recruitment, multi-layered coercive control, exploitation of Korean nationals’ characteristics to target fellow Koreans, and exploitation of Korea’s financial system and scam industrialization. Korea’s socioeconomic conditions create structural vulnerability, while victims’ linguistic, cultural, and digital skills are exploited for cyber scams. Unlike traditional trafficking, this pathway uniquely involves induced voluntariness, skill-based exploitation, addiction-facilitated coercion, and victim-to-perpetrator transition, highlighting the need for country-specific prevention and response strategies.