Chinese Murder Suspect Hiding in South Korea After Identity Change... Arrested and Deported After 34 Years

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] A Chinese national who killed two people in China 34 years ago and fled to Korea after changing his identity has been apprehended.

The International Cooperation Team of the Foreign Affairs Division at Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, in cooperation with the Immigration Office at Incheon Airport, announced on the 13th that they arrested Chinese national A (54) on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act and obstruction of official duties by deception, and forcibly deported him.

According to the police, A was wanted for killing two victims with a weapon in Yantai City, Shandong Province, China in 1987. While hiding locally, A completely changed his name and age to alter his identity, created a new passport, and entered Korea in September 2016.

A was originally Chinese but had previously married a woman who naturalized as a Korean citizen, which allowed him to obtain a permanent resident (F5) visa upon entry in 2016.

The police began an investigation last September after receiving a request from Interpol China to confirm A’s whereabouts.

By verifying the documents A submitted when applying for his visa, the police secured genetic information (DNA) and, through facial recognition data provided by the Chinese side, confirmed that he was the same person as the murder suspect before the identity change.

The police arrested A near a construction site in Incheon on the 7th and handed him over to an escort officer from the Shandong Provincial Public Security Bureau on a flight to China the following afternoon.

The Shandong Provincial Public Security Bureau expressed gratitude in a recent letter sent to the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, stating, "The arrest and repatriation of this criminal suspect is a model case of friendly cooperation between the police forces of the two countries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.