PHNOM PENH: South Korea has called for a stronger regional front against transnational scam networks, warning that online criminal syndicates across South-East Asia are evolving faster than governments can respond.
The message was delivered by Eui-hae Cecilia Chung, South Korean Deputy Minister for Political Affairs, who said the challenge is “only the beginning” as technology and AI-driven manipulation accelerate the scale and sophistication of online crime.
Chung’s remarks followed a two-day visit to Cambodia by Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, during which Seoul and Phnom Penh strengthened cooperation to protect victims and dismantle scam operations.
The visit resulted in the creation of the Korea Desk, an exclusive mechanism within Cambodia’s law enforcement structure dedicated to managing online scam cases involving Korean victims.
“We’re very grateful to the Cambodian side for such close cooperation in handling this difficult issue,” Chung said.
“I have to really thank the Cambodian government in helping set up the Korea Desk that will exclusively manage the online scam centre issue with the Korean victims. This is an issue that… with more advanced technology and AI being exploited in unthinkable ways… is only the beginning,” she added.
She stressed that scam syndicates are no longer confined within any single country.
“Scam operations have become a regional concern across Asean,” she said.
“We will need to strengthen our cooperation and work better together — maybe even preemptively — to ensure these crimes do not proliferate the way they have been,” she continued.
During minister Cho’s meeting with Minister of Interior Sar Sokha, the two governments witnessed the signing of an MoU on the Establishment of a Cambodia–Korea Joint Task Force between the Cambodian National Police and the Korean National Police Agency.
The task force will coordinate investigations, intelligence-sharing and rapid response operations targeting scam compounds.
The agreement marks one of the most concrete security collaborations between Cambodia and Korea in recent years.
Cho also held talks with Prime Minister Hun Manet and Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, with all sides commending the progress of the bilateral Strategic Partnership and reaffirming commitments across defense, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges.
The two foreign ministers further exchanged views on regional peace and the implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration between Cambodia and Thailand — a key mechanism to prevent border tensions and support stability.
Chung believed the growing focus on transnational crime will become a defining pillar of the Asean–Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
Korea is preparing a joint initiative with ASEANAPOL to combat scam centres, alongside plans for maritime security training and cybersecurity cooperation.
Under the CSP’s third pillar, “Partner for Peace and Stability”, Seoul hopes to expand its contribution to law enforcement, disaster management, cyber defence and capacity-building across Asean member states.
“This is an excellent area of cooperation for the future,” Chung said. “Our lives and our security challenges are interconnected. We have to deal with them together.”
Chung also underscored that cooperation on crime and security cannot be separated from broader geopolitical realities. She noted that both Korea and Asean face pressure from major power rivalries but share a common instinct: dialogue over confrontation.
“Confrontation will not solve difficult issues,” she said.
“We need to keep engaging with each other. Asean has been very skilled at navigating these difficulties — some call it balancing, some call it hedging — but the spirit is the same. You need to increase the amount of discussion without taking sides,” she explained.
She added that Korea’s relationships with Japan, China and the US are interconnected, just as Asean seeks to maintain strategic autonomy.
“Ultimately, we all have to live together,” she said.
As Seoul and Asean move to deepen cooperation under the CSP, tackling the surge of online scams — and the technological and geopolitical forces behind them — has emerged as a shared priority neither side can afford to ignore. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
