Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday instructed government agencies to mobilize all resources to tackle transnational crimes, such as scams, drug trafficking, and online gambling, the presidential office said. Lee made the call as he convened an interagency meeting to discuss coordinated responses with officials from the National Intelligence Service, law enforcement agencies, the ministries of foreign affairs and justice, as well as financial and customs authorities.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee highlighted the urgency of the issue by referencing the recent Cambodia repatriation case, stating that transnational crimes are destroying lives and could lead to rapidly increasing social costs if not addressed. In a written briefing after the meeting, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced the government's decision to establish an integrated consultative body. This body will involve intelligence authorities and key agencies, including the foreign and justice ministries, and will launch a special unit dedicated to responding to transnational crimes.
South Korea has intensified efforts to combat crimes targeting its citizens in Southeast Asia, following reports of South Koreans being abducted and confined in Cambodia in connection with online scam operations. President Lee has pledged to strengthen international cooperation to combat these crimes, especially after the torture and death of a South Korean college student who was lured into a scam center in Cambodia, an incident that has sparked widespread public outrage.