Police will discuss with local police ways to set up a "Korean Desk" in Cambodia. As crimes targeting Koreans have recently continued in Cambodia, they plan to increase the number of officers dispatched directly to local police agencies to respond.
The Korean National Police Agency said on the 12th that it will "share with the international community the seriousness of criminal groups in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, and call for cooperation through the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference to be held next week (20–23)."
At the same time, the Korean National Police Agency said, "At the bilateral meeting with Cambodia on the 23rd, we decided to put on the agenda the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for setting up a Korean Desk in Cambodia and the dispatch of police, as part of countermeasures against crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia."
The Korean Desk is a dedicated team for crimes related to Koreans that works within the local police agency. It was first set up in the Philippines in 2012 and also exists in countries such as Thailand. These are all countries where many crimes targeting Koreans have occurred.
Creating such a dedicated team in Cambodia is a measure that takes into account the recent increase in crimes targeting Koreans. According to data submitted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Chan-dae from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there were 330 reports from January to August this year in Cambodia from people who said they were confined after employment fraud. However, it is known that only three Korean police officers are currently working in Cambodia.
Police are also pushing for the head of the National Office of Investigation to visit Cambodia to assess the local situation and strengthen investigative cooperation. Through this, they plan to carry out joint transnational crime operations with international police organizations such as Interpol and ASEANAPOL.