President Lee Jae-myung Requests Extradition of 'Korean Drug Kingpin' Imprisoned in the Philippines

President Lee Meets Korean Community in the Philippines on March 4
"Anyone Who Harms Koreans Will Face Severe Consequences; Pressure Will Continue"

President Lee Jae-myung is delivering a greeting at a meeting with overseas Koreans held on the 4th at a hotel in Manila, Philippines. Photo by Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung announced on March 4 (local time) that he had requested the extradition of Park, a Korean national known as a drug kingpin currently imprisoned in the Philippines, during a meeting with the Korean community there.

President Lee made these remarks while attending a meeting with overseas Koreans held at a hotel in downtown Manila, Philippines, that afternoon.

President Lee revealed, "It is said that Mr. Park, a Korean national, killed three people, and even now, he is reportedly exporting drugs to Korea from inside prison. He has been sentenced to 60 years and is currently incarcerated." He made this information public.

President Lee further explained that, during the summit with President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. held the previous day, he requested a temporary extradition of the individual to Korea. He added, "(President Marcos also) said he would review the matter promptly and implement it as soon as possible."

Additionally, President Lee stated, "There was also the murder case of Ji Ikjoo, which reportedly involved a local police officer. I asked for swift action on this as well, emphasizing yesterday that there is significant public attention in Korea regarding the case."

Furthermore, President Lee pledged, "I have declared that anyone who harms a Korean citizen will face severe consequences, and I will continue to exert pressure going forward."

He added, "Currently, so-called scam crimes and voice phishing targeting Korean nationals have been on the rise statistically, but the amount of damages has now decreased by 22%, similar to the decline in real estate prices in Korea. The number of scam crimes targeting Koreans has dropped by approximately 25%, and the total amount by about 22%."

Meanwhile, President Lee pointed out, "I have instructed all heads of overseas missions to engage in extensive dialogue with overseas Koreans and listen to their concerns. However, it is said that only a little over 1,400 cases have been reported worldwide, which seems unlikely."

President Lee continued, "That can't be the case. I believe we need to conduct a second round of surveys. Overseas missions should regularly assess what the Korean community and citizens want and provide the necessary support accordingly."

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