25.10.12.Today News : Police Strengthen Response to Crimes Targeting Koreans in Cambodia…‘Korean Desk’ Planned

Police Strengthen Response to Crimes Targeting Koreans in Cambodia…‘Korean Desk’ Planned

📍Police to Deploy Officers and Sign MOU to Address Rising Kidnappings, Fraud, and Detentions of Koreans in Cambodia

The Korean National Police Agency is taking proactive measures against the rising number of crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia, including setting up a ‘Korean Desk’ and enhancing international cooperation. Plans include on-site police deployment, MOU signing, and visits by the head of the National Investigation Headquarters to strengthen investigative collaboration with local authorities.

The National Police Agency is pushing to establish a ‘Korean Desk’ to address the recent increase in crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia.

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🔹Strengthening International Cooperation and Setting up the Korean Desk
The National Police Agency announced on the 12th that it will enhance cooperation with international organizations to combat crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia and Southeast Asia, including phone scams, fraud, employment scams, and illegal detentions. During the International Chiefs of Police Conference, which begins on the 20th, the agency will share information on serious criminal organizations in Cambodia and call for international collaboration. The conference will include police chiefs from 25 countries, Interpol, Europol, and ASEANAPOL.

Additionally, on the 23rd, a bilateral meeting will be held in Yeouido, Seoul, between Korean and Cambodian police to address crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia. Discussions will include signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a ‘Korean Desk’ and deploying Korean officers to the country. The head of the National Investigation Headquarters will visit Cambodia to review the situation and discuss ways to strengthen investigative cooperation, and the Cambodia Crime Response Joint Team, launched in July, will expand operations.

Following the discovery of the body of a Korean man in his 20s near a criminal organization complex in Bokor, Kampot Province on August 8, the police and the National Forensic Service are negotiating with Cambodian authorities to conduct an on-site autopsy this month to facilitate repatriation.

🔹International Cooperation and Cross-Border Crime Response
The National Police Agency plans to establish an international cooperation council involving Interpol, ASEANAPOL, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and police from major countries, aiming to conduct joint operations against cross-border crimes such as kidnappings, detentions, and online fraud. At the Interpol General Assembly in Morocco on November 24, Korea will urge the international community to strengthen joint responses to scam operations abroad.

In areas with frequent crimes against Koreans, the agency plans to expand police consular presence in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and to reinforce 30 additional personnel for international cooperation investigations. On the 13th at 2 PM, international cooperation officers will hold an urgent video meeting with 15 police consuls from China and Southeast Asia to share updates, review each country’s situation, and discuss measures to strengthen cooperation with local police. At 3 PM, Acting Commissioner Yoo Jae-sung will discuss measures to respond to crimes against Koreans in Cambodia and enhance international cooperation.

Yoo emphasized, “Crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia and Southeast Asia are becoming increasingly serious. We will do our utmost to strengthen international cooperation so that citizens can live safely.”

🔹Local Situation and Crime Characteristics
The National Police Agency is planning to establish a ‘Korean Desk’ in Cambodia and deploy Korean officers on-site. The head of the National Investigation Headquarters will also visit Cambodia to oversee operations. However, current human and material resources are insufficient to protect Koreans and investigate crimes in Cambodia, which has become a hub for cross-border crime.

Certain areas such as Sihanoukville have become bases for international criminal groups involved in stock trading scams, phone scams, online gambling, and drug trafficking. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated local development and tourism, enabling Chinese criminal groups to establish bases. These groups lure young people from China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Thailand, detain them, and involve them in criminal activities, sometimes selling them to other organizations. Allegations exist that local politics and organized crime are intertwined, hindering proper investigations.

Korean criminal organizations also operate under Chinese investment in Cambodia, often relocating from countries like the Philippines or Thailand due to increased investigative pressure. Consequently, kidnappings and detentions of Koreans have increased, often under the pretense of high-paying jobs. Reports of Koreans being detained in Cambodia reached 330 cases from January to August this year, compared to 4 in 2021, 1 in 2022, and 17 in 2023.

🔹Regional Response and Limitations
Neighboring countries have strengthened their responses. Cambodia has conducted large-scale operations against Chinese criminal groups, including repatriation of around 500 offenders in November last year and April this year using three chartered flights.

Although Korea has responded, limitations remain. Currently, only three police officers (one resident officer and two liaison officers) are stationed in Cambodia, and the International Crime Investigation Unit was downsized under the Drug Investigation Division in 2023. Although an International Cooperation Office exists, personnel are insufficient to handle the rapidly increasing cases of employment scams and kidnappings targeting Koreans.

A National Police Agency official said, “We will work with related ministries to expand police consular presence in areas with frequent crimes against Koreans and reinforce 30 personnel for international cooperation investigations.”

One-line summary :The Korean National Police Agency is taking proactive measures to address rising crimes against Koreans in Cambodia, including establishing a Korean Desk, enhancing international cooperation, and deploying officers on-site.