Phnom penh: Cambodia pledged Thursday to solve the online scam crime issue with South Korea, vowing to continue to enhance cooperation. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet met South Korean Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Ji-na in Phnom Penh, where they discussed ways to combat violent organized crime in Cambodia after a South Korean university student was found dead after being tortured by criminal groups.
According to Anadolu Agency, the prime minister highlighted joint efforts in combating transnational crimes, particularly online scams, emphasizing that cooperation between Cambodian and Korean authorities over the years has yielded many fruitful outcomes. Hun Manet noted the commitment of both nations to strengthen collaboration to prevent, suppress, and combat online scams more effectively, contributing to the maintenance of peace, public order, and social security.
The meeting follows the tragic death of Park Min-ho, a 22-year-old South Korean university student, who was found dead in August in Cambodia's Kampot province after being tortured by criminals. Additionally, a South Korean woman was found dead on October 7 in Vietnam near the Cambodia border.
During her meeting with the Cambodian prime minister, Kim Ji-na expressed "strong regret" about the increasing online job scams targeting South Koreans in Cambodia, urging cooperation and efforts to put an end to the crime. She called for swift action from Cambodian authorities to repatriate 60 South Koreans detained in Cambodia for their suspected involvement in scams.
Kim's delegation arrived Thursday in Cambodia to address the escalating job scam crisis involving the abduction and brutal abuse of South Koreans. In response to the situation, South Korea issued a travel ban Wednesday for parts of Cambodia, along with a travel warning to South Koreans in Cambodia's Sihanoukville province.
A Foreign Ministry official stated separately that as of Tuesday, around 80 South Koreans linked to job scams in Cambodia were reported missing or their safety could not be confirmed.