Lee Warns Cambodian Scam Rings of "Complete Ruin"
Post Deleted After Cambodian Authorities Inquire with Ambassador
"Not a D?marche"... "Deleted After Sufficient Publicity"
President Lee Jae-myung's post warning organizations committing online scam crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia with a message of "complete ruin" in the local Cambodian language has been deleted. The post sparked discontent locally, and it was reported that Cambodian authorities inquired about the meaning of the post with the South Korean ambassador to Cambodia.
President Lee Jae-myung's post warning organizations committing online scam crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia with a 'complete ruin' message in the local Cambodian language has been deleted. Yonhap News Agency
According to Yonhap News Agency, on January 30, President Lee introduced an article on X (formerly Twitter) stating that "even Chinese criminal organizations in Cambodia are now afraid of crackdowns by Korean police and are no longer recruiting Korean members." He emphasized strong measures against transnational scam crimes by stating, "If you target Koreans, you will face complete ruin. Does that sound like an empty threat?" President Lee also wrote the same message in Khmer, the Cambodian language.
In response, the Cambodian side asked Kim Chang-ryong, the new South Korean ambassador to Cambodia, about the meaning of the message written in Khmer. Ambassador Kim reportedly explained that "criminal groups may not understand English or Korean, so the warning was issued in Khmer." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The President's message was intended to evaluate the results of the crackdown and express a commitment to pursue and crack down on online scam crimes to the end."
Locally in Cambodia, President Lee's post was reported by local media, leading to a surge of complaints. On February 1, local media outlets such as the Khmer Times mentioned the post, reporting that "the South Korean President's warning on scam crimes has triggered anger among Cambodians" and that "there has been criticism that the South Korean President has branded all of Cambodia as a den of criminal organizations."
Following the inquiry from the Cambodian side, the post on President Lee's X account was deleted. Regarding this, Kang Yoo-jung, spokesperson for the Office of the President, told Yonhap News Agency, "It is presumed that the post was deleted because it was considered sufficiently publicized." Addressing speculation that the Cambodian side may have lodged a diplomatic protest through Ambassador Kim, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "It was routine communication and not a d?marche with a protest."
Seventy-three Korean suspects involved in a scam organization in Cambodia were forcibly repatriated through Incheon International Airport on the 23rd of last month. Photo by Dongju Yoon
Last month, the pan-governmental Transnational Crime Task Force forcibly repatriated 73 suspects involved in scam crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia. Investigations revealed that they had defrauded approximately 48.6 billion won from 869 Korean nationals. Kang Yoo-jung, spokesperson for the Office of the President, announced this achievement on January 22, stating, "We plan to thoroughly trace the suspects' hidden assets and actively pursue the recovery of criminal proceeds," and added, "Going forward, the government will continue to respond strictly, centering on the Transnational Crime Task Force, until overseas scam crime bases targeting our citizens are completely eradicated."
Meanwhile, on January 31, Cambodian police conducted a large-scale crackdown on a scam complex in the southeastern city of Bavet, arresting 2,044 scam suspects. Among those arrested, 1,792 were Chinese nationals, followed by 179 from Myanmar, 177 from Vietnam, and 5 from Taiwan. The Cambodian Ministry of Interior emphasized, "This crackdown reaffirms the Cambodian government's firm stance that online fraud will never be tolerated."
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