Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung briefs on the joint response to scam crimes in Cambodia during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul, Friday. -- Photo from Yonhap
SEOUL (Bernama-Yonhap): South Korea has repatriated 107 nationals suspected of involvement in online scam crimes in Cambodia since October, the presidential office said on Friday, as part of a sweeping crackdown launched following the death of a Korean student in the South-East Asian nation.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the pan-government campaign began in October to curb a surge in scam crimes targeting Koreans, after President Lee Jae Myung ordered the launch of a special response team to work with the Cambodian authorities to track down suspects, arrest them and bring them back to South Korea.
As of end-November, the cumulative number of Korean suspects arrested in Cambodia, including those still awaiting repatriation, stood at 154, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters.
The crackdown has also led to a sharp decline in reports of Koreans confined or going missing in Cambodia, with the number falling from 93 cases in October to just 17 in November, Kang said.
The government pledged to continue taking a tough stance on transnational crimes that threaten the safety of Koreans abroad.
"The government will continue to take stern, firm action against transnational crimes that endanger the lives and security of our citizens," Kang said.
During a pan-government meeting in late October, Lee ordered the establishment of a special response headquarters involving the foreign and justice ministries, intelligence agencies and the police.
A dedicated police unit was also set up in Cambodia to deal specifically with crimes involving Korean nationals in the country. - Bernama-Yonhap
