Phnom penh: H.E. Abhisantibindit Sar Sokha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, engaged in a meeting today with H.E. Ms. Kim Jina, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, and her delegation at the Ministry of Interior.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the discussions centered on three main points to enhance cooperation in combatting online scamming.
Firstly, the Cambodian Ministry of Interior and the Korean delegation agreed to establish a Task Force aimed at improving the effectiveness of efforts to prevent, suppress, and crack down on online scamming. H.E. Ms. Kim Jina assured that South Korea will support the Task Force through training, capacity building, information sharing, and experience exchange with Cambodian officials.
Secondly, South Korea committed to providing a list of criminal targets, including foreign masterminds of online scams, to the Cambodian Ministry of Interior. This initiative will aid Cambodia in reviewing legal aspects to blacklist and ban these criminals from entering the country. H.E. Abhisantibindit Sar Sokha emphasized the importance of this provision in the bilateral collaboration and its significance within the international framework. Cambodia plans to create a blacklist to prevent these individuals from entering its territory and instruct authorities to detain them at border checkpoints.
Thirdly, both parties agreed to enhance educational and awareness-raising activities for their citizens regarding the dangers of online scamming. They also aim to encourage other nations to engage actively and continuously in these efforts.
H.E. Abhisantibindit Sar Sokha regarded the visit of H.E. Ms. Kim Jina as a model activity that reflects cooperative efforts to address a shared problem. He reiterated that tackling online scamming is a global issue, not confined to Cambodia or Korea alone. Cambodia continues to enforce laws on online scamming by detaining perpetrators and facilitating their legal processing, including deportation. The country has also been sharing information on masterminds and money laundering operations with other countries.
In contrast, H.E. Abhisantibindit expressed concerns over certain countries and organizations that disregard Cambodia's efforts and instead attribute blame. He expressed hope that H.E. Ms. Kim Jina will convey accurate information about Cambodia's situation to Korean leaders, media, and the public.
H.E. Ms. Kim Jina acknowledged the widespread network of criminals involved in online scamming, affecting victims globally, and highlighted the necessity of bilateral and global cooperation to address the issue. She also shared her admiration for Cambodia's landscape, expressing her intention to visit the country privately with her family in the future.