Prime Minister Hun Manet (right) met with South Korea’s second vice-foreign minister Kim Jina in Phnom Penh on October 16 to discuss strengthening anti-scam cooperation. - Photo: Supplied
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia and South Korea have pledged to continue to strengthen their cooperation to prevent, suppress and combat online crimes. This work did not require prompting from any neighbouring country, Prime Minister Hun Manet noted pointedly, following a meeting with a senior South Korean official.
Manet met with Kim Jina, South Korea’s Second Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs on Thursday (Oct 16) to discuss the fight against online fraud, which recently attracted headlines in South Korea after a young South Korean national was murdered in Kampot last August.
The South Korean government has issued travel warnings for parts of Cambodia which it says host scam operations, including a total ban on its citizens visiting the border towns of Poipet and Bavet, as well as Bokor Mountain, where the young man was slain.
Manet took to social media to explain that he and Jina had discussed the fight against transnational crime, especially technology-based scams. He highlighted that the many years of cooperation between Cambodian and Korean authorities have already yielded many fruitful results.
“Cambodia and South Korea will continue to strengthen joint cooperation to efficiently prevent, suppress and combat technology-based fraud, with the goal of maintaining and protecting security and public order,” he said.
Manet also hit back at reported comments by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who suggested that Thailand could join with Korea to suppress fraud in Cambodia.
“In recent days, the media of a neighbouring country reported that their leader plans to discuss ways to solve the problem of technology-based fraud in Cambodia involving Korean nationals with the President of Korea,” said Manet.
“I informed Her Excellency Kim Jina that if this is the case, I would like her to inform the President of Korea that Cambodia does not need to rely on any neighbouring country to do this work on its behalf, and that the leader of that country should focus on solving their own internal problems,” he added.
Anutin stated on Oct 15 that he would call South Korean Prime Minister Lee Jae Myung today to discuss providing assistance for Korean nationals who were tricked by gangs based in Cambodia, according to The Nation Thailand.
“Cambodia and South Korea have sufficient capacity and capability for bilateral cooperation to solve the problem. We do not need a third party to help push for it,” added Manet. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
