October 28, 2025
PHNOM PENH – As the current crackdown on online scams gains momentum, Cambodia and South Korea have shared plans to establish a joint task force next month which will enhance cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of both nations on crimes involving Korean nationals.
This move follows a recent collaboration between Cambodian authorities and their South Korean counterparts in suppressing online fraud and rescuing South Korean victims in Cambodia, an effort intensified by the death of a Korean citizen in August.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung today, October 27, in Malaysia. The two leaders discussed the issue and their broader bilateral cooperation, which was elevated to a “Strategic Partnership” in 2024.
“We also discussed the fight against cross-border crime, especially the fight against technology-based fraud,” Manet explained, via social media.
“We highlighted the many years of cooperation between Cambodian and Korean authorities, which has already yielded many fruitful results,” he added.
He continued that Cambodia and South Korea will continue to strengthen joint cooperation to prevent, suppress and combat crimes involving Korean nationals in Cambodia more effectively, with the goal of maintaining security and public order.
“A Cambodia-Korea joint ad-hoc working group will be established in November to increase cooperation between the law enforcement of the two countries in combating crimes involving Korean nationals in Cambodia, including technology-based scams,” he explained.
Following the death of a Korean citizen at the hands of a Chinese online scam syndicate, South Korea has increased its efforts to crack down on and prevent this type of crime, in cooperation with Cambodian authorities. Under this partnership, more than 60 Korean nationals have been repatriated to face legal action in their home country, while authorities arrested nearly 60 others last week.
South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on October 27 that the death of the 22-year-old Korean national remains a sensitive topic in Korea, prompting the Korean government to send officials to work with Cambodia on this matter.
