Key facts
- South Korea and dozens of UN member states launched an informal group to address technology-facilitated trafficking in persons.
- The group is an "action-oriented platform" for member states to share best practices and discuss emerging trends.
- The initiative was prompted by the death of a South Korean student who was kidnapped and killed after being lured by an overseas online scam.
- Ambassador Cha Ji-hoon emphasized the need for a coordinated global response to human trafficking facilitated by digital technologies.
South Korea, alongside numerous United Nations member states, has established an informal group dedicated to combating human trafficking that is facilitated by technology. The launch event, co-hosted by South Korea's UN mission and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, underscores Seoul's heightened diplomatic efforts on this issue.
Ambassador to the U.N. Cha Ji-hoon highlighted the critical need for a unified international approach to address human trafficking, which increasingly leverages digital platforms and technologies like artificial intelligence. He noted that no nation is immune to this growing threat.