'63-Hour Escape' Kim Gilsu Hides in Noryangjin and Yangju... Avoids Pursuit by Sleeping Rough

Kim Gilsu (36), who was detained at Seoul Detention Center on charges of armed robbery and escaped while receiving hospital treatment, testified about his escape route during the investigation immediately after being captured by the police. After being caught on CCTV at the Seoul Gangnam Express Bus Terminal around 9:40 p.m. on the 4th and disappearing, it was confirmed that he hid while wandering around Noryangjin and Yangju using the subway, taxi, and bus.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency on the 7th, Kim was captured near a public phone booth in Ganeung-dong, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi Province at 9:25 p.m. the previous day. Kim had been on the run for about 63 hours using money given by an acquaintance and his younger brother.

Kim swallowed about 5 cm of a plastic spoon handle and was admitted to Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital in Anyang at 8:30 p.m. on the 2nd, but escaped at 6:20 a.m. on the 4th and took a taxi to Uijeongbu. An acquaintance, Mr. A, gave Kim 100,000 won, of which 70,000 won was paid for the taxi fare, leaving 30,000 won. Then, Kim moved to Yangju, where his younger brother lives, received 800,000 won, and entered Seoul. Kim took the subway from Nowon Station and moved to Ttukseom Resort Station at 6:30 p.m. on the same day, arriving at Gangnam Express Bus Terminal around 9:40 p.m. The previously confirmed route of Kim ended here, and his whereabouts afterward were unknown.

During the police investigation immediately after his capture, Kim testified that he moved from the Express Bus Terminal to Sapyeong Station and took a taxi to Noryangjin. Kim, who was hiding in the basement of a building in Noryangjin, took a taxi at 2 a.m. on the 5th and headed back to Yangju, where his younger brother lives. Thinking that the police might be near his brother’s house, Kim spent time in a nearby shopping mall parking lot and then took a bus to Uijeongbu around 8 p.m. on the 6th. In Uijeongbu, Kim searched for his own news articles at a PC room, then came out and called Mr. A from a public phone. The police, who detected this, captured him at 9:25 p.m. on the same day.

At the time of capture, Kim had 430,000 won on him. Since his brother and acquaintance gave him 830,000 won, he had used about 400,000 won. This money was spent on taxi fares, clothes, meals, and so on. Kim showed meticulousness during his escape by frequently changing transportation and changing clothes. It is reported that Kim testified that there was no special purpose for each escape route and that it was to avoid being tracked.

After completing basic investigations with Kim, the police handed over his custody to the detention center around 4 a.m. on the 7th. According to the Execution of Sentences Act, prison officers can arrest a detainee within 72 hours after escape. The police explained that this measure was taken considering that the detention order for Kim’s existing armed robbery charges was still valid. The police plan to continue the investigation to identify the specific details and routes of the escape by meeting Kim at the detention center.

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