A major drug lord in Southeast Asia repatriated to Korea

Kim (47), the head of a crime ring who had been on the run in Southeast Asia, smuggling drugs into Korea, was arrested in Vietnam on Sunday. Kim is known as one of the “three major Korean drug lords in Southeast Asia.”

The National Police Agency announced on Fridays., "After sending an arrest support team to Vietnam and conducting a joint investigation with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security, Kim was arrested in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday, and was forcibly returned to Korea today." After making a Red Notice for Kim through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in June 2019, the police conducted a collaborative investigation with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security for about three years.

According to the police, Kim is suspected of selling methamphetamine and synthetic hemp to domestic suppliers and buyers using the online messenger 'Telegram' since 2018. Kim was wanted at 13 police stations across the country for drug supply. There are about 20 accomplices who have been supplied with drugs from Kim and sold them in Korea. Of the drugs that Kim sold in Korea, those accounted for by the police investigation alone are worth 7 billion won. The police believe that the actual amount sold will be much more than this and plan to find the exact volume of the drugs supplied by carrying out further investigation.

Mr. Kim was the only suspect among the three Korean drug lords in Southeast Asia, who was not arrested. Park (44), who was previously called the ‘Telegram drug lord’, was arrested in the Philippines in October 2020 and is currently behind the bars.” North Korean defector drug lord” Choi (33, female) was caught in Cambodia and returned to Korea in April of this year. Kim is considered to be the general manager who supplied drugs to Park and Choi.

“We will continue to strengthen the international collaborative investigation,” said Kang Ki-taek, director of the Interpol International Cooperation Division at the National Police Agency.


pep@donga.com