FM Cho, Cambodian PM discuss cooperation to combat scam crimes

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, left, shakes hands with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Cambodia, Nov. 10. Yonhap

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to discuss ways to cooperate in combating scam crimes in the Southeast Asian country, the foreign ministry said Monday, amid growing concerns over online scam operations targeting Korean nationals.

The death of a Korean university student, who was allegedly lured to Cambodia by a criminal ring, has sparked public outrage in Korea, prompting the government to dispatch a delegation to the country to address crimes against its citizens.

Last month, President Lee Jae Myung and the Cambodian prime minister agreed to establish a joint task force to investigate online scams targeting Koreans, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur.

The Cambodia-based task force was launched Monday.

The two countries also agreed to strengthen their strategic partnership to more effectively root out cross-border crimes, while seeking to expand cooperation in the trade, investment and labor sectors ahead of the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2027, the ministry said.

In a separate meeting with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Cho urged the Cambodian government to ensure the safety of Koreans during future crackdowns on scam networks and to repatriate them to Korea as quickly as possible.

The Cambodian foreign minister also pledged to make utmost efforts to tackle scam crimes involving Koreans in Cambodia.