South Korea, Cambodia Launch Joint Task Force to Combat Transnational Crime
South Korea and Cambodia have officially launched a joint task force in Cambodia to collaboratively combat transnational crime and focus on ensuring the safety of Korean residents in the country. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on November 10th to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in eradicating transnational crime. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the establishment of this task force is a tangible result of ongoing discussions between the two governments on cooperation in responding to transnational crime. Prior to meeting Prime Minister Hun Manet, Minister Cho held a luncheon meeting with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn. At this meeting, Minister Cho emphasized the need for a joint response to transnational crimes, particularly scam crimes, and proposed strengthening cooperation between the two countries. Scam crimes have recently emerged as a serious social problem. During the meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet, Minister Cho positively assessed the rapid launch of the 'South Korea-Cambodia Joint Task Force' and requested the Cambodian government's active support and cooperation to ensure that the task force can contribute to practical crime response. In response, Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that the Cambodian government is also actively responding at the national level to eradicate transnational crimes, including scam crimes. He expressed his willingness to strengthen crime prevention and crackdown activities through cooperation with the Korean government. Minister Cho, along with Yoo Jae-seong, Acting Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, met with Cambodian Minister of Interior Sar Kheng and emphasized the establishment of a close cooperation system between the police forces of both countries to ensure that the joint task force is established as a practical cooperation system focused on the field. Minister Cho stated, "We expect the joint task force to play a key role in all processes, from receiving reports of incidents involving our citizens in Cambodia to rescue, investigation, and extradition of suspects," and reiterated the request for the Cambodian government's active support. Under Minister Cho's observation, Acting Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong and Cambodian National Police Commissioner General Sar Thet formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the establishment of the 'Joint Task Force'.
The MOU is known to include specific cooperation plans such as the operating method of the joint task force, information sharing, and personnel exchange. Following the signing of the MOU, an opening ceremony for the joint task force was held within the Cambodian National Police Agency. Government officials from both countries, including Minister Cho Hyun-dong, Acting Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong, and Commissioner General Sar Thet, attended to celebrate and encourage the successful launch of the joint task force. The joint task force will be stationed within the Cambodian National Police Agency and will perform overall tasks such as receiving reports of incidents related to Korean citizens in Cambodia, investigating cases, rescuing victims, and arresting and extraditing suspects. Korean police personnel will cooperate in solving crimes through joint investigations with Cambodian police. Minister Cho Hyun-dong, Acting Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong, and Cambodian officials visited a scam crime complex near Phnom Penh to inspect the site and discuss measures to crack down on the complex and secure the identities of Koreans. Minister Cho emphasized the seriousness of scam crimes and urged the Cambodian government to actively crack down on them. During his visit to Cambodia, Minister Cho had dinner with representatives of local Korean residents to listen to their grievances and explain the government's efforts to ensure their safety. Minister Cho promised, "The government will continue to do its best to protect the safety and rights and interests of our citizens residing in Cambodia." With the launch of this joint task force, the Korean government plans to strengthen the response system to crimes related to Korean citizens in Cambodia and focus more on ensuring the safety of Korean residents. In addition, it plans to actively work to eradicate transnational crimes, including scam crimes, through close cooperation with the Cambodian government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it will continue to strengthen prevention and response activities against crimes targeting Korean citizens in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, and will continue to work to ensure the safety of Korean residents abroad.
