ISTANBUL

Cambodia has detained three Chinese men on charges of murder and online fraud related to a South Korean student's kidnapping, torture and death after being entangled in an online scam operation.

Police are continuing to search for two other suspects, according to the Phnom Penh Post.

The prosecutor’s office said the three men were charged after the body of 22-year-old Park Min-ho was discovered tortured and beaten in a pickup truck in Cambodia in August. An autopsy indicated that Park died of a heart attack due to the torture.

The developments were revealed after South Korea's presidential office announced Tuesday that they will dispatch a joint response team to Cambodia to deal with crimes targeting South Koreans amid rising cases of job scams after Park's case, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The response came after President Lee Jae Myung instructed ministries during a Cabinet meeting to mobilize "all available resources" to help South Koreans kidnapped in Cambodia in connection with job scams safely return home.

South Korean Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Ji-na is planned to lead the team leaving Wednesday alongside officials from the National Police Agency (NPA) and the National Intelligence Service, according to the presidential spokesman Kim Nam-joon.

The head of the National Office of Investigation at the NPA, Park Sung-joo, will coordinate with Cambodian authorities on repatriating the detained South Koreans and discuss a joint probe into the student’s death.

Those repatriated will also be investigated for any possible involvement in criminal activity upon their return.

As of Tuesday, 63 South Koreans were being held by Cambodian authorities, Kim said, adding that the government would maintain its stance of bringing back all citizens, even those unwilling to return.

The two sides will also jointly tackle scam crimes.

President Lee also urged the government to "implement all available resources to promptly, accurately and decisively respond to this problem."

"Related ministries should accelerate the establishment of a regular communication channel between the law enforcement authorities of the two countries through consultations with the Cambodian government," he said during the meeting.