Cambodia, South Korea form joint task force to combat online scamming

Cambodia and South Korea have reached an agreement on three concrete measures to boost cooperation in fighting online scamming networks that have affected citizens of both countries, Khmer Times reported on Saturday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Sokha met on Friday afternoon (October 17) with Kim Jina, the Republic of Korea’s Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and her delegation at the Ministry of Interior in Phnom Penh.

According to the Interior Ministry, the discussions were held in an open and constructive spirit, reflecting both nations’ commitment to intensifying their cooperation against transnational cybercrime. The two sides agreed on three main points:

1. Joint task force – Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior and South Korea will establish a joint task force, similar to mechanisms Cambodia has formed with other countries, to speed up coordination in preventing and cracking down on online scams. Vice Minister Kim pledged that Korea would provide support through training, capacity-building, information-sharing, and experience exchange with Cambodia’s specialised law enforcement officials.
2. Blacklist of suspects – The Korean side will prepare and submit a list of criminal suspects, including foreign ringleaders of online scamming networks, for Cambodia to review. Cambodian authorities will examine legal measures to blacklist these individuals and ban their entry into the country. Sar Sokha described this as a key pillar of bilateral and international cooperation, adding that the government would direct officials at all border checkpoints to remain alert and detain blacklisted offenders immediately.
3. Public awareness – Both sides agreed to enhance education and awareness campaigns to inform citizens about the dangers of online scamming and to encourage other countries to work together on sustained efforts against such crimes.

Sar Sokha praised Kim Jina’s visit and described it as “a model of practical cooperation” in addressing a shared global problem. “Efforts to fight online scamming are not just for the Korean or Cambodian people, but for humanity as a whole,” he said.

He reaffirmed that Cambodia has strictly enforced laws on online scamming by arresting offenders, mostly foreigners, prosecuting them in court, and repatriating them to their home countries. Cambodia has also shared intelligence on scam masterminds and money-laundering operations with countries both within and outside the region.

However, Sar Sokha expressed regret that some countries and international organisations “choose to ignore these results” and instead place blame on Cambodia, even though he noted, “the root of the problem lies within their own jurisdictions.”