Trial Indefinitely Postponed... Kim Bong-hyun Hidden Away for Over a Month

Nephew Detained, Older Sister Faces Arrest Warrant and Passport Cancellation
Accomplices' First Trial This Week... Focus on Escape Details

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The escape of Kim Bong-hyun, the former chairman of Star Mobility and a key figure in the Lime Asset Management scandal, has continued for over a month, but his whereabouts remain undiscovered. With Kim himself missing, related trials are uncertain as to when they will resume.

As of the 18th, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, led by the Criminal Division 6 (Chief Prosecutor Lee Jun-dong), continues to track Kim, who disappeared on the 11th of last month. At that time, Kim cut off his electronic tracking device (electronic ankle bracelet) near Paldang Bridge in Hanam City, Gyeonggi Province, and went into hiding.

Kim, who was arrested and indicted in May 2020, was released on bail last July on the condition of real-time location tracking and wearing an electronic ankle bracelet, and has been on trial without detention for over a year. During the trial, the prosecution detected signs of Kim attempting to stow away to China and repeatedly requested arrest warrants and bail cancellations, but these were not accepted by the court.

Meanwhile, Kim escaped the prosecution's surveillance with the help of family and acquaintances. Kim's nephew appeared in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage at the time of the escape and assisted in the flight. He also caused confusion in the investigation by swapping Kim's phone SIM card into his own mobile phone. Considering the current law that does not punish aiding a fugitive by relatives as harboring a criminal, the prosecution applied charges of damaging the electronic ankle bracelet and detained the nephew.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim's elder sister (51, residing in the United States) is also suspected of aiding his escape by connecting Kim with entertainment agency official Mr. A and her boyfriend Mr. B through messengers like Telegram and KakaoTalk. The prosecution applied charges of instigating the harboring of a criminal against Kim's sister, issued an arrest warrant, and requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to invalidate her passport. Mr. A and Mr. B were arrested and indicted on charges including providing burner phones after Kim was released on bail.

Despite the prosecution's comprehensive investigation into Kim's escape accomplices, Kim's whereabouts remain unknown. The prosecution and police secured CCTV footage near Paldang Bridge, where Kim fled, and searched the area but reportedly found no clues to trace his escape route. Some speculate that Kim may have stowed away through a broker as originally planned, but the prosecution currently considers this unlikely. It is also reported that no Interpol red notice request has been made separately.

The trials involving Kim have been indefinitely postponed. Previously scheduled trials related to Kim were postponed twice, on the 6th and 21st. According to the basic principle of criminal trials, the trial can only proceed if the defendant appears in court. At present, all that can be hoped for is that the first trial of escape accomplices Mr. A and Mr. B, scheduled for next week, will reveal the full details of Kim's escape process.

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