Korean Chaebol Heiress Wanted by Interpol Found Hiding in Cambodia
Hwang Hana, the granddaughter of the founder of Namyang Dairy Products, has reportedly been discovered living in a luxury residential complex in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She is currently the subject of an Interpol Red Notice.
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According to Ilyo Sisa, as cited by Korea JoongAng Daily on October 6, Hwang has been residing in a high-end compound in the Cambodian capital. She allegedly fled to Thailand while under investigation for drug-related offenses in South Korea and has remained on Interpol’s international wanted and extradition list since then.
Born into a powerful chaebol family, Hwang Hana is the only granddaughter of the late founder and honorary chairman of Namyang Dairy, one of South Korea’s leading dairy conglomerates.
Hwang first gained public attention in 2017 after getting engaged to singer-actor Park Yoochun. However, the couple broke up a year later, both facing drug use allegations and investigations.
In 2019, Hwang was sentenced to a two-year suspended prison term, fined 2.2 million won (approximately USD 1,500), and ordered to undergo 40 hours of rehabilitation for purchasing and using methamphetamine on seven occasions. In 2021, she was again charged with using drugs while still serving her suspended sentence, resulting in an additional prison term of one year and eight months.
Meanwhile, crimes targeting South Korean nationals in Cambodia have surged sharply. According to South Korea’s National Police Agency and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criminal syndicates — often comprised of Chinese nationals or ethnic Koreans from China — have been luring victims with offers of high-paying jobs, delivery work, or romantic relationships. Once deceived, victims are stripped of their passports, detained, and forced to participate in large-scale phone fraud operations.
Some victims who managed to escape reported being beaten, electroshocked, and even trafficked within sealed compounds.
In response, the South Korean government issued a special travel advisory for Phnom Penh on October 10, urging citizens to avoid the area. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also recommended that South Koreans currently in Cambodia consider leaving or evacuating as soon as possible.
Official data shows a dramatic spike in kidnapping cases involving South Korean citizens in Cambodia — from just 10–20 cases annually during 2022–2023, to 220 cases in 2024, and already 330 cases as of August 2025.
