Cambodia has pledged to work with South Korea to combat online scams without requiring cooperation from Thailand, Prime Minister Hun Manet said today.
Hun Manet met with South Korea’s Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kim Jina, in Phnom Penh today to discuss efforts to combat online fraud, which recently made headlines in South Korea after a young South Korean national was murdered in Kampot last August, according to the Phnom Penh Post.
He later took to social media to explain that he and Kim had discussed the fight against transnational crime, especially technology-based scams.
“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.
The Cambodian leader also hit back at comments by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who suggested that Thailand could join with South 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 said on Wednesday 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.
“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,” Manet added.
