Seoul and Phnom Penh agreed to operate a joint task force focused on online scams targeting Korean nationals in Southeast Asia amid rising cases of abduction and detention.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said during a briefing in Kuala Lumpur on Monday that President Lee Jae Myung and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet had reached the agreement during the South Korea-ASEAN summit in Malaysia. 

The spokesperson said the "Korea Task Force" will begin operating in November, with law enforcement from both sides set to conduct joint crackdowns and investigations.

The size of South Korea's police deployment and other details of the operation will be determined in the near future.

During their talks, the Cambodian prime minister said public security in his country has significantly improved following the government's strong countermeasures.

Lee, for his part, said he would instruct officials to consider lowering existing travel warnings for some parts of Cambodia, including Phnom Penh, once the task force is up and running.