60s Man Who Disappeared for 10 Years After Embezzling 9.32 Billion Won Caught During Dental Treatment

Disappeared After Skipping Trial in 2016
Tracked Down Through Dental Records and Navigation Data, Arrested at Daughter's Home

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A man in his 60s who had been on the run for nearly ten years after being brought to trial on charges of embezzling billions of won has been apprehended by prosecutors after a lengthy investigation.

According to the legal community on May 20, the Investigation Support Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office arrested Mr. Park (60) on May 16 on suspicion of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (embezzlement).

Mr. Park was charged without detention for allegedly misappropriating more than 932 million won out of 10.6 billion won in stock purchase funds for the company he headed between March and June 2006.

In July 2016, just before his first trial, Mr. Park suddenly disappeared.

The court issued arrest warrants several times in an attempt to secure his custody, but each time the warrants could not be executed because his whereabouts remained unknown. As a result, the trial was repeatedly delayed.

Originally, the task of apprehending defendants who fail to appear in court without permission is carried out by the court in cooperation with the police. However, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office took the initiative and formed a "team for apprehending non-appearing defendants" in August 2024, resuming efforts to secure custody.

The team analyzed messenger conversations and navigation records of people around Mr. Park and discovered that his daughter's navigation system had repeatedly set a dental clinic in Daejeon as its destination.

After confirming with the clinic, they found that Mr. Park had received endodontic treatment there. They then identified a mobile phone believed to be in actual use and continued tracking him.

As a result of these efforts, Mr. Park was arrested on the night of May 16 at his daughter's home.

A prosecutor stated, "We will focus on apprehending defendants who fail to appear in court to help establish the rule of law and ensure smooth progress of trials."

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