ANKARA

South Korea on Thursday imposed sanctions on 15 individuals and 132 entities linked to a Southeast Asia-based multinational network accused of running online crimes that targeted South Korean nationals, local media reported, citing a Foreign Ministry statement.

The ministry said the measures are part of Seoul’s broader campaign against organized crime in the region. The Yonhap news agency reported that the move comes after the death of a South Korean college student who was tortured by an online job-scam ring in Cambodia.

The officials said this is the first time South Korea has imposed sanctions over transnational criminal activity in Southeast Asia.

The sanctions target online scam organizations and their members, including groups tied to the Prince Group, which is alleged to operate illicit online fraud networks in Cambodia.

“The government has been making all-out and comprehensive efforts to respond to transnational crimes that pose serious threats to the lives and property of our citizens,” the ministry said.

South Korea recently signed a memorandum of understanding with China on cooperation against voice phishing and online fraud during summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month.

In a related development, some 17 South Koreans have been nabbed in Cambodia after a joint crackdown on a scam ring designed for no-show fraud schemes conducted by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and local authorities, Seoul's spy agency said Thursday.

The NIS said its officers raided the group’s main base in Sihanoukville on Nov. 13 in cooperation with Cambodian authorities.

* Writing by Aamir Latif