Lee vows to crack down on transnational crimes, scalping

President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to intensify efforts to combat transnational crimes, including voice phishing scams targeting Koreans, according to a statement made on social media. The president's remarks came as he shared a video demonstrating the arrest of individuals involved in a scam ring that had been hiding in Kazakhstan, as a result of a joint operation with Kazakh authorities.

Lee emphasized that the belief of evading capture by seeking refuge abroad is no longer valid. He added that any individual engaging in crimes against Koreans will be relentlessly pursued and dealt with appropriately, regardless of their location. Lee expressed his appreciation to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the Kazakh authorities for their active cooperation in dismantling the extensive voice phishing network.

On August 5, the Korean National Police Agency announced that a special task force responsible for addressing transnational crimes had apprehended 14 members of the Korean scam ring during a joint operation in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on July 23. In addition to his commitment to combating transnational crimes, Lee also vowed to target scalpers. He shared a news report regarding the arrest of a scalper who had amassed substantial wealth by purchasing large quantities of tickets through fraudulent means.