Voice Phishing Involving Kidnapping Citizens... President Lee: "Countermeasures Must Be Even Tougher and Stronger"

President Lee Jae-myung Presides Over Cabinet Meeting on the 21st
"Voice Phishing Will Not Disappear Anytime Soon"

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung stated that "countermeasures must be made even tougher and stronger than they are now and be implemented accordingly" in response to the recent wave of kidnapping, confinement, and ensuing voice phishing crimes taking place in Cambodia.

At the Cabinet meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office on this day, President Lee remarked, "I never imagined that voice phishing crimes would be organized on such a large scale, systematically and extensively in certain countries, to the point of even kidnapping or luring foreigners. The seriousness of the situation is becoming evident," he said.

Addressing the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the responsible ministry, President Lee emphasized, "We need to respond in a new way," and added, "Because this is an international crime, I have given separate instructions to the National Intelligence Service. I believe the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the police should fundamentally reconsider their approach as well."

President Lee further stated, "It does not seem likely that voice phishing crimes will disappear anytime soon," and pointed out, "There are even rumors that these crimes are connected to state power, so it will not be easy to eradicate them." He reiterated, "We will secure as many resources and personnel as possible, so please approach this issue from a new perspective."

Meanwhile, President Lee also urged telecommunications companies to adopt measures such as pre-installing voice phishing prevention applications on customers' mobile devices. It is reported that the government and telecom providers are considering devices that can detect and block voice phishing calls in advance using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Ha Jungwoo, Chief of AI Future Planning at the Presidential Office, reported, "There is a significant drawback in that such applications consume a lot of battery power, making it difficult for telecom companies to enforce this on customers." In response, President Lee questioned, "Shouldn't we respond with a sense of urgency?"

President Lee pointed out, "We do not know who might become a victim, and there are reports that the total damages are approaching 1 trillion won. Once someone falls victim, they can be ruined," adding, "We must provide protection, and unless the individual finds it too inconvenient, shouldn't this generally be implemented?"