A team under the ruling Democratic Party(DP) handling safety for South Korean nationals overseas says it consulted with Cambodian politicians to repatriate a group of South Koreans detained in the country on criminal allegations.

Upon returning from Cambodia on Saturday, DP Supreme Council member Hwang Myeong-seon said the team met with Cambodian lawmakers over two days to press for the detainees’ return.

Hwang said the team proposed establishing a “Korean Desk” in Cambodia to handle crimes targeting South Korean nationals and dispatching South Korean officers to conduct joint investigations, adding that the Cambodian legislature and government gave a positive response.

The team traveled to Cambodia on Wednesday to discuss countermeasures with the Cambodian side in the wake of a surge in employment fraud targeting South Korean nationals, many of whom have also been implicated in criminal activity.

The head of the team, DP Supreme Council member Kim Byung-joo, has remained in the country and is scheduled to hold a press conference at 6 p.m. Saturday, Korea Standard Time.