South Korea-Cambodia Pact: Joint Task Force Targets Online Scam Crisis

The agreement was reached during their summit on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering in Kuala Lumpur, following the death of a Korean college student in Cambodia that fueled public outrage in South Korea.

"The two leaders agreed to operate a Cambodia-based task force dedicated to crimes targeting Korean nationals starting in November," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters, Yonhap News Agency reported. "The size of the Korean police contingent and the task force's operational plan will be finalised as soon as possible."

South Korea has been seeking to set up a team under the Cambodian police dedicated to investigating crimes involving Korean nationals, similar to the Korean Desk operating in the Philippines.

Lee noted that South Koreans are currently "highly sensitive" to scam-related crimes following recent incidents and expressed gratitude for Cambodia's attention to the safety of Korean nationals, calling for closer coordination to jointly tackle such crimes.

During the meeting, Manet offered condolences over the death of the Korean student who was lured to work in a scam centre in Cambodia, calling the death "an unfortunate incident."

Manet said Cambodian authorities acted swiftly to crack down on the scam centres and arrested perpetrators, pledging closer cooperation to tackle cross-border crimes, including drug and human trafficking.

"This is not an issue for a single country. It is a regional issue," Manet said, underscoring the need for multilateral efforts to address rising transnational crimes in Southeast Asia.

The remains of the South Korean university student, who was allegedly tortured to death by a criminal organisation in Cambodia, returned home last week, more than two months after he was found dead.

The case prompted the Korean government to dispatch a delegation to Cambodia earlier this month to address the widening crime problem and impose travel restrictions on some parts of the country where Koreans have been detained.

During the talks, Lee said he will instruct the government to consider lowering the travel advisory in some regions in Cambodia, including Phnom Penh, after assessing the security situation and in light of the launch of the joint investigative force dedicated to Koreans, according to the spokesperson.

The two leaders also discussed ways to elevate bilateral ties. Lee pledged continued contributions to Cambodia's development and said he hopes to boost reciprocal visits and high-level communication.

Manet said South Korea is a major investor and key tourism source for Cambodia, expressing hope to expand cooperation in security and defence.

- IANS