South Korea repatriates fugitive banker, gambling Operator

A former banker who embezzled 1.1 billion won from a commercial bank and fled to the Philippines has been apprehended and forcibly repatriated to South Korea after 18 years.

The National Police Agency announced Friday that it had extradited two individuals through Incheon International Airport: a suspect surnamed Kim, wanted for embezzlement, and another Kim, accused of operating illegal gambling sites.

The embezzler, who was a loan officer manager at a domestic commercial bank in 2007, manipulated loan documents to steal 1.1 billion won before fleeing the country. He was arrested last September after authorities confirmed his Interpol Red Notice status while he attempted to obtain documents from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration.

The second suspect is accused of running several illegal online gambling sites worth approximately 16 billion won, along with six accomplices, since 2015. He was arrested in March following a joint investigation by the Korean Desk, South Korean police stationed in the Philippines, and local immigration authorities.

The number of criminals repatriated to South Korea has continued to rise. According to the National Police Agency, 691 fugitives were brought back from overseas last year. That figure stood at 373 in 2021, 403 in 2022, and 470 in 2023. As of the end of May this year, 307 have already been repatriated.


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