Seoul, Oct 12 South Korea and Cambodia have been in talks to strengthen consular assistance and investigative capabilities in Phnom Penh to cope with crimes targeting Korean nationals, diplomatic sources said on Sunday, after a reported torture death of a Korean student in Cambodia over an online scam.
Seoul has been in diplomatic consultations with Phnom Penh to increase the number of police officers dispatched to the South Korean Embassy in Cambodia and to establish a "Korean Desk" within the Cambodian national police, a team dedicated to handling cases involving Koreans, according to the sources familiar with the issue, Yonhap news agency reported.
The embassy currently has one Korean police officer and two police liaisons tasked with cooperation work, a level deemed insufficient to address the recent spike in crimes, such as employment scams and unlawful confinements.
A recent case involving a Korean college student allegedly tortured to death in Cambodia has sparked calls to dispatch additional police personnel to enhance coordination with Cambodian authorities and provide better support for Korean victims.
On Friday, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun summoned the Cambodian ambassador in Seoul to urge stronger measures to tackle the rising number of online scams and detentions targeting Koreans, while the foreign ministry upgraded its Level 2 travel advisory for the capital of Phnom Penh to a special travel advisory.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered the foreign ministry Saturday to take all-out diplomatic measures in response to a series of crimes in Cambodia targeting South Korean nationals, including cases of job scam and unlawful confinement, his office said.
Lee issued the instruction after receiving a recent report on crimes involving the people in Cambodia, an official of the presidential office said.
"The ministry has taken various steps, including securing cooperation from the Cambodian government, and will take additional measures if necessary," the official added.
A string of online scams, detentions and torture cases targeting South Koreans in the Southeast Asian country has sparked public outrage and growing concern at home.
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