By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo

President Lee Jae-myung, currently in Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on October 27 (local time) to discuss strengthening cooperation between the two countries and responding to online scams.

President Lee held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur that day. He expressed his gratitude for the hospitality shown to the Korean delegation during their recent visit to Cambodia regarding online scams.

He said, "In South Korea, the entire nation is very sensitive to scams, and I sincerely appreciate the Cambodian authorities' special consideration for the Korean people."

During the meeting, Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed his condolences regarding the recent death of a Korean university student involved in an organized scam organized in Cambodia.

Prime Minister Hun Manet stated, "We have a special relationship. We have worked together in many areas, and I hope that will continue." He added, "However, there was an unfortunate incident recently where a Korean university student died in Cambodia. I offer my deepest condolences on this unfortunate incident."

Prime Minister Hun Manet continued, "However, Cambodian police authorities did not remain silent. They immediately investigated and arrested the perpetrators. We are also working with Korea to track down those involved in this scam."

Prime Minister Hun Manet stated, "The Cambodian government places a high priority on combating transnational crimes such as human trafficking and drug trafficking.

However, he added, "As you know, this is not a problem that can be solved by a single country. It is a regional issue, and countries in the region must work together. It is complex because it involves not only Cambodia but also neighboring countries."

He reiterated, "Of course, I do not want to blame others, but because of its regional nature, countries in the region must work together."