'Gangnam Hagwon District Drug Drink Incident' Korean Main Perpetrator, Forced Repatriation from China

Arrested in Jilin Province, China 52 Days After Incident
Chinese Ministry of Public Security Decides Forced Deportation After 7 Months

The Korean main suspect in the drug beverage threat incident that occurred in the Gangnam academy district of Seoul last April was captured in China and forcibly repatriated to South Korea.

On the 26th, the National Police Agency announced that Mr. A (26), who is accused of violating the Narcotics Control Act, was forcibly repatriated to South Korea through Incheon International Airport at around 3:25 p.m. on the same day.

Seized drug beverages and questionnaires are displayed during the interim investigation briefing on the drug beverage incident in the Gangnam academy district last April. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Mr. A is suspected of leaving for China in October last year and conspiring with accomplices both domestically and abroad to create a ‘drug beverage’ by mixing methamphetamine with milk. On April 3 of this year, he allegedly held a fake tasting event targeting 13 middle and high school students in the academy district of Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, deceiving them into drinking it as a ‘concentration-enhancing beverage.’ Mr. A is also accused of threatening the parents of the students who drank the drug beverage by saying, ‘Your children have taken drugs, so I will report this to the police,’ in an attempt to extort money.

Immediately after the incident, the National Police Agency obtained an Interpol Red Notice for Mr. A at the request of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit, which was investigating the case. They also activated a hotline with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security through the police attach? at the Chinese Embassy to share investigation progress. Considering the high public interest due to the fact that this is a new type of crime targeting young students, Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun sent a letter of cooperation to the Minister of Public Security of China.

Commissioner Yoon also convened a bureau-level meeting on April 21 and personally oversaw the cooperation issues, instructing active engagement in international cooperation with China for the swift arrest of Mr. A. On May 22, a working-level police delegation visited the Chinese Ministry of Public Security directly, and important clues identified by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit were shared with the Chinese side. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security also urgently instructed local public security bureaus to secure Mr. A’s custody, demonstrating close cooperation between the two countries’ police forces.

Fifty-two days after the incident, on May 24, Mr. A was arrested by Chinese public security officers at a hideout in Jilin Province, and subsequent negotiations between the two countries for his repatriation took place. The police from both countries met frequently during major international events such as the Interpol National Central Bureau Directors’ Meeting and the 6th Korea-Japan-China Police Cooperation Meeting to coordinate opinions on the handling of Mr. A’s custody. Commissioner Yoon also urged the swift repatriation of Mr. A during a bilateral meeting with senior officials of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. As a result of these efforts, on the 20th, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security decided on Mr. A’s forced deportation, and the National Police Agency dispatched an escort team to Yanji City, Jilin Province, to forcibly repatriate Mr. A to South Korea.

A National Police Agency official stated, “This repatriation is the fruit of relentless efforts by the Korean and Chinese police to eradicate drug crimes, which are like terrorism that destroys communities. We will continue to strengthen cooperation with China and devise various measures to activate investigative cooperation, thereby firmly establishing a foundation for regional security.”

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