President Lee: "We Must Show That Harming Our Citizens Through Transnational Crime Leads to Total Ruin"

Presiding Over Senior Secretariat Meeting
"Vicious and Threatening Crimes That Can Even Lead to Diplomatic Disputes"
Seventy-Three Members of Scam Organizations Based in Cambodia Forcibly Repatriated

President Lee Jaemyung emphasized the need to demonstrate that anyone who harms the people of the Republic of Korea will face total ruin, stressing that transnational crimes such as voice phishing originating from Cambodia must be relentlessly pursued and eradicated at their root.

Yonhap News Agency

On January 22, during a meeting with senior aides at the presidential office, President Lee stated, "Thanks to the efforts of our government officials, additional members of organizations involved in voice phishing crimes in Cambodia will soon be extradited to Korea. This extradition will take place on a considerable scale," making these remarks.

President Lee described transnational crime as "a vicious and threatening offense that not only destroys the personal lives of citizens but also undermines the foundation of communal trust and can even lead to diplomatic disputes." He instructed the relevant ministries to "take measures to ensure that it is made absolutely clear offenders will be punished, regardless of whether the crime is committed domestically or abroad." He further called for a firm response, stating, "Show clearly that committing crimes against our citizens will not yield any benefit, but rather result in even greater losses."

President Lee noted, "Various ministries are conducting many joint operations," and assessed, "It seems we are seeing more results, more arrests, more extraditions, and a reduction in the number of cases and the amount of damages." He urged, "Based on seamless cooperation with foreign governments, do your utmost to recover every penny of criminal proceeds so that the damages suffered by our citizens can be restored."

Yonhap News Agency

Earlier, Kang Yujeong, spokesperson for the presidential office, announced that 73 members of a scam crime organization operating out of Cambodia would be forcibly extradited this evening. This is the largest extradition of its kind to date; these individuals defrauded 869 Korean citizens of approximately 48.6 billion won.

The chartered plane carrying the suspects is scheduled to depart Incheon International Airport at 8:45 p.m. tonight and return at 9:10 a.m. on January 23. The suspects include 51 members of the Sihanoukville scam group, 15 from the Poipet scam group, and 26 from the Mondulkiri scam group.

This extradition also includes a romance scam couple who were unable to be extradited to Korea last October. Using deepfake technology to impersonate fictitious characters, they defrauded 104 Korean citizens of approximately 12 billion won. Reportedly, they attempted to evade Korean law enforcement by undergoing plastic surgery to alter their appearance. In addition, fugitives charged with sexual crimes against minors, members of investment fraud organizations impersonating financial experts, and suspects involved in hostage robbery and gambling have also been apprehended.