Lee Jae-myung Calls for Cooperation on Transnational Crime at ASEAN Meeting, Citing Regional Peace
President Lee Jae-myung Strengthens Cooperation with Cambodian Prime Minister on Combating Transnational Crime
President Lee Jae-myung held a summit with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 27, 2025, to discuss ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in combating transnational crime. The meeting was convened in recognition of the need for a joint response to the rise of online scam crimes in Southeast Asia and to establish a practical cooperation framework. Both leaders acknowledged the reality of cyber-based crimes spreading across borders and agreed to actively work together to eradicate crime through various forms of cooperation, including information sharing and joint investigations.
In particular, President Lee and Prime Minister Hun Manet agreed to launch a 'Korea Task Force' starting in November to effectively combat online scam crimes. The Korea Task Force aims to conduct joint crackdowns and investigations by closely cooperating with law enforcement authorities from both South Korea and Cambodia. This is expected to help prevent the activities of criminal organizations early on and minimize damage. The operation of the task force is expected to play a pivotal role in strengthening the investigative cooperation system between the two countries and activating the sharing of criminal information. The scale of the Korean police deployment and the specific operational methods of the Korea Task Force will be finalized soon through consultations between the two countries. The government plans to secure sufficient budget and personnel to operate the task force and do its best to strengthen its crime response capabilities.
Prime Minister Hun Manet stated at the meeting that the security situation in Cambodia has improved significantly through intensive crackdowns on scam crime syndicates within Cambodia. The Cambodian government has recently implemented strong crackdowns to eradicate online scam crimes, resulting in a decrease in the number of crimes committed and an increase in the arrest rate of related organizations. Based on these achievements, Prime Minister Hun Manet emphasized that Cambodia will continue to conduct continuous crackdowns and preventive activities to make Cambodia a safe country from crime. President Lee expressed his gratitude for the Cambodian government's efforts and pledged that the Korean government would spare no support to eradicate scam crimes.
President Lee stated that he would instruct the foreign affairs authorities to consider lowering the travel advisory level for some areas, including Phnom Penh, in light of Cambodia's efforts to improve security and the launch of the Korean Task Force. Lowering the travel advisory level means that the security situation in the area has improved, which can contribute to encouraging safe overseas travel for Korean citizens. The government plans to work closely with the Cambodian government to continuously monitor the security situation and adjust the travel advisory level reasonably. In addition, the government will strengthen scam crime prevention education for overseas travelers and strive to build a support system to quickly respond to damages.
This summit between President Lee Jae-myung and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet is expected to serve as an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in responding to transnational crime. In particular, the operation of the Korea Task Force is expected not only to provide practical assistance in eradicating online scam crimes but also to contribute to further consolidating the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two countries. The government will continue to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN countries, including Cambodia, to protect the safety of its citizens from transnational crime and do its best to maintain peace and stability in the region. To this end, the government plans to expand cooperation in various fields such as information sharing, joint training, and technical support, and strengthen the international cooperation network.
