Khmer message to Chinese gangs draws fire from S Korea opposition
Photo: Phnom Penh Post
PHNOM PENH, Feb. 4, 2026 — South Korea’s main opposition figure Jang Dong-hyeok has lashed out at President Lee Jae-myung for issuing a warning to online scam gangs in the Khmer language, arguing the message should have been written in Chinese because the criminal networks are largely Chinese-run.
Jang, of the conservative People Power Party, said the president’s choice of language was misguided and risked misunderstanding, according to South Korean media. His remarks followed Lee’s now-deleted social media post warning fraud syndicates that target South Koreans, a message that quickly drew regional attention.
Seoul’s presidential office rejected the criticism. A spokesperson said the post was removed only after it had already circulated widely and stressed that the intent was to deter criminals, not stigmatize any country.
South Korea’s new ambassador to Cambodia, Kim Changyong, defended the language choice, telling Cambodian officials that Khmer was used because the gangs involved “do not understand English or Korean.”
The controversy comes as Seoul and Phnom Penh step up cooperation against cybercrime. Ambassador Kim met Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn this week to discuss joint efforts to combat online scams, though the language dispute was not addressed publicly.
