South Korea, UN Members Launch Group to Combat Tech-Facilitated Trafficking

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, June 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and dozens of U.N. member states on Friday launched an informal group aimed at addressing technology-facilitated trafficking in persons on Friday, as Seoul has stepped up diplomatic efforts to address the issue following online scams that affected South Koreans in Cambodia last year.

South Korea's mission to the U.N. and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime held an event to launch the "Group of Friends for Combating Technology-facilitated Trafficking in Persons."

Seoul's Ambassador to the U.N. Cha Ji-hoon underscored the importance of a coordinated response to human trafficking facilitated by digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), noting that no country or region is immune to this challenge.

"Last summer, a Korean university student fell victim to an overseas online scam, kidnapped, tortured and ultimately killed. This tragic incident deeply shocked Korean society and served as a wake-up call to the dire risk of human trafficking linked to online scam businesses," he said.

"Our thoughts remain with him, his family and countless others whose lives have been shattered by this crime globally," he added.

The ambassador said that the group will serve as a "flexible action-oriented platform" open to all member states to raise awareness, exchange best practices, host dialogue on emerging trends and strengthen cooperation.

The launch of the group came amid the growing need for international cooperation to address transnational crime in which traffickers leverage internet and digital platforms to recruit, control and exploit victims, and conceal criminal proceeds.