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President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a senior secretaries’ meeting at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, on October 23. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung on October 23 ordered government ministries and agencies to mobilize a full-scale response against transnational crimes such as drug trafficking, online scams, and cyber gambling, which he said are increasingly threatening public safety and livelihoods.

According to Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung, Lee convened an emergency meeting at the Presidential Office in Yongsan to address what he called “a growing wave of cross-border criminal activity orchestrated by international syndicates.”

Following Lee’s directive, the government decided to establish a Special Response Headquarters for Transnational Crimes and form an integrated task force that includes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Financial Services Commission, and the National Intelligence Service.

“In cases such as the recent Cambodia extradition incident, we’ve seen how transnational crime destroys people’s lives,” Lee said during the meeting. “If left unchecked, the social cost will rise rapidly. I am instructing all relevant ministries to cooperate and respond with full force.”