South Korean foreign minister meets Cambodia's leader to push effort to fight criminal cyberscams

South Korea’s overseas curate has met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, keeping up unit to suppress burgeoning large-scale online scam operations that person been blamed for the brutal decease of a Korean student

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- South Korea’s overseas curate met Monday with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, keeping up unit to suppress burgeoning large-scale online scam operations that person been blamed for the brutal decease of a Korean student.

Hun Manet said connected societal media that helium had met with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun but did not supply details of their talks successful the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

Seoul's overseas ministry said past week Cho's sojourn would see discussions connected cooperating to eradicate scam-related crimes successful Cambodia and launching a associated constabulary task unit connected the problem. Cho is scheduled to depart Tuesday.

The efforts followed the decease of 22-year-old Park Min-ho, who was reportedly lured to Cambodia and forced to enactment successful a scam halfway earlier his assemblage was recovered tortured and beaten successful August. His decease triggered outrage successful South Korea, prompting the authorities to nonstop a delegation to Phnom Penh for urgent talks.

Online scams, galore based successful Southeast Asian countries, person risen sharply successful caller years. Thousands of people, galore of them kidnapped oregon tricked, person been forced to enactment successful guarded compounds, nether the menace of violence.

The United Nations and different agencies person estimated that cyberscams gain planetary transgression gangs billions of dollars annually. The cybercriminals feign relationship oregon tout phony concern opportunities to cheat targets astir the world.

Scam centers successful Cambodia are estimated to person astir 200,000 workers including 1,000 South Koreans, according to South Korean officials.

Last month, 64 South Koreans who had been detained by Cambodian constabulary were repatriated connected a chartered flight. Around 50 of them were arrested soon aft accomplishment connected charges of engagement successful online fraud activities.

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Associated Press video writer Jerry Harmer successful Bangkok contributed to this report.

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