South Korean Student Kidnapped in Vietnam Rescued Through Joint Korean-Vietnamese Police Effort

A South Korean high school student has been rescued in Vietnam after being kidnapped, a case that involved close coordination between South Korean and Vietnamese police, according to South Korean media reports. The incident occurred in Hanoi on August 15. The victim, a minor, was abducted by individuals involved in illegal lending operations, reportedly because her father, an employee of a South Korean company branch in Vietnam, was unable to repay gambling debts. The father fled Vietnam for South Korea on August 16, the day after his daughter's abduction, out of fear for her safety. With the mother also in South Korea, the student was left completely isolated from her family. Her tutor subsequently reported the incident to the South Korean Embassy in Vietnam. Officials from the embassy and South Korean police dispatched to Vietnam worked with Vietnamese law enforcement to locate and rescue the girl on August 26, according to South Korea's SBS News. Korea JoongAng Daily reported that six South Korean police officers are stationed in various locations in Vietnam, including Hanoi, to assist in handling cases involving South Korean citizens. Authorities are investigating whether the father was a habitual gambler and the extent of his debts. South Korea applies the principle of nationality in its criminal code, meaning its citizens can be punished for violating South Korean law even if the act is legal in the country where it occurred. Habitual gambling, unless for temporary entertainment, can carry a penalty of up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won (approximately $15,000 USD). South Korean diplomatic missions in Southeast Asia have issued warnings to travelers about gambling-related crimes. For instance, in January 2026, the South Korean Embassy in the Philippines advised citizens to be "mindful of cases of borrowing money using passports as collateral due to excessive gambling, including at casinos, or getting involved in disputes related to detention after failing to repay debts." Similar incidents have occurred within Vietnam. In September 2025, Da Nang City police detained five individuals, including four Vietnamese and one Chinese national, for the unlawful detention of two other Chinese nationals. The victims were allegedly lent hundreds of thousands of Chinese yuan for gambling and, after losing, were forced to sign debt notes, subjected to confinement and beatings, and compelled to contact their families for money transfers.