SEOUL, March 25 (AJP) - A South Korean detained in the Philippines was extradited to South Korea on Wednesday to face an investigation into alleged drug trafficking.
In a written press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Park Wang-yeol, a notorious drug kingpin known by his alias "Jeonsegye" in Korean, which literally means "worldwide," was extradited from the Philippines early Wednesday morning after nearly a decade of efforts to bring him back to face criminal charges.
She added that it demonstrates the government's "strong will that even criminals hiding overseas will pay the price."
His extradition comes after President Lee Jae Myung's visit to Manila earlier this month, during which he asked Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to cooperate in combating transnational crimes.
Park was extradited under a bilateral treaty as part of a temporary handover, which allows a suspect to be provisionally transferred for criminal proceedings in South Korea while trial or sentence enforcement in the Philippines is suspended.
The 48-year-old was a key figure in an infamous case involving serial killers who used plantations to conceal victims, in which three South Koreans were killed. He was arrested by Philippine authorities in October 2022, sentenced to 60 years in prison, and had been held there.
Even while in prison, he continued his crimes, drawing scrutiny after being caught distributing large quantities of drugs into South Korea via Telegram and other social media platforms.
Kang said the government will "uncover his every criminal act to the end" while tracking down accomplices and punishing them strictly.
She added that the government would respond to transnational crime with "zero tolerance" and strengthen international cooperation to ensure that criminals have nowhere to hide.
In a written press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Park Wang-yeol, a notorious drug kingpin known by his alias "Jeonsegye" in Korean, which literally means "worldwide," was extradited from the Philippines early Wednesday morning after nearly a decade of efforts to bring him back to face criminal charges.
She added that it demonstrates the government's "strong will that even criminals hiding overseas will pay the price."
His extradition comes after President Lee Jae Myung's visit to Manila earlier this month, during which he asked Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to cooperate in combating transnational crimes.
Park was extradited under a bilateral treaty as part of a temporary handover, which allows a suspect to be provisionally transferred for criminal proceedings in South Korea while trial or sentence enforcement in the Philippines is suspended.
The 48-year-old was a key figure in an infamous case involving serial killers who used plantations to conceal victims, in which three South Koreans were killed. He was arrested by Philippine authorities in October 2022, sentenced to 60 years in prison, and had been held there.
Even while in prison, he continued his crimes, drawing scrutiny after being caught distributing large quantities of drugs into South Korea via Telegram and other social media platforms.
Kang said the government will "uncover his every criminal act to the end" while tracking down accomplices and punishing them strictly.
She added that the government would respond to transnational crime with "zero tolerance" and strengthen international cooperation to ensure that criminals have nowhere to hide.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
