South Korea will propose a multilateral cooperation framework with ASEAN during the summit of the regional grouping to address organized crimes in Cambodia amid a surge in job scams targeting nationals from various countries, according to South Korean media.
The Korea Herald quoted Wi Sung-lac, director of the presidential National Security Office, as saying in a briefing on Thursday that Seoul may bring up the issue in the upcoming summit to be held in Malaysia in late October.
"The ASEAN Summit will be an opportunity to establish a cooperative system, including joint investigations with ASEAN policing authorities," Wi said.
Wi explained that Seoul was reviewing the possibility of including ways to jointly deal with crimes in Cambodia as one of the discussion items in the ASEAN summit.
"Of course, this would be a major issue. Many countries are involved, and it may be efficient for the issue to be discussed at a multilateral meeting," Wi said.
Wi further underscored that similar discussions could also be arranged in multinational organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development.
Wi said such joint actions are crucial given that the emerging threat of transnational crimes cannot be solved, describing the online scams which have surged significantly in Southeast Asia as organized crimes involving some 200,000 people across the world.
"In order to uproot the crimes, cooperation with not only Cambodia but also neighboring or relevant countries is crucial," he said.
Korea Herald said it is South Korea's latest gesture toward efforts dealing with a surge in cases of Koreans lured by fake job offers and subjected to related crimes, including kidnapping and forced confinement.
Wi's remarks came as South Korea’s interagency team met Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh on Thursday to discuss the return of about 60 Koreans detained in scam-related abductions, and to strengthen coordination in addressing job scams and crimes targeting Korean nationals.
It said the government delegation, led by Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a, made an urgent trip to Cambodia at the instruction of President Lee Jae Myung.
