Alleged Korean drug kingpin lived 'luxurious life' in Philippine prison, authorities say
Published: 25 Mar. 2026, 15:37
Updated: 26 Mar. 2026, 13:33
![Park Wang-yeol, a suspected drug kingpin who killed three Korean nationals in the Philippines, escaped prison and allegedly trafficked narcotics into Korea, is escorted through Incheon International Airport on March 25. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/26/ce37236c-08ae-437e-921a-26a2d6ecf4d9.jpg)
Park Wang-yeol, a suspected drug kingpin who killed three Korean nationals in the Philippines, escaped prison and allegedly trafficked narcotics into Korea, is escorted through Incheon International Airport on March 25. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
The investigation into Park Wang-yeol, a suspected drug kingpin who operated under the Telegram alias “Worldwide,” is expected to accelerate after he was handed over to Korean police on Wednesday.
The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency took custody of Park earlier in the day after securing his transfer from the Philippines through a temporary extradition request.
Park arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 7:16 a.m. and was transported to the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency. Authorities have formed a 20-member task force, including 12 narcotics investigators from the Gyeonggi Bukbu police, two from the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency and six analysts from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cryptocurrency tracking team.
The government had spent about nine years seeking Park’s return. His transfer was finalized roughly 20 days after President Lee Jae Myung requested his extradition during a summit with the Philippines earlier this month, bringing him back to Korea for the first time in a decade.
“We plan to conduct a thorough investigation into his drug distribution network, additional offenses, accomplices and methods,” a representative for the police said. “We will also track and recover criminal proceeds.”
Despite the media releasing his name and photo, the representative noted that authorities will review whether to officially disclose Park’s identity and release his mug shot through a formal committee process. The crimes Park committed in the Philippines, including murder, are not part of the current investigation.
Park arrived at the police agency at around 9 a.m. but did not respond to reporters’ questions, including those about his alleged drug distribution in Korea, his stance toward the families of his murder victims, his return to Korea or whether he had lived a lavish life in the Philippine prison, referring to the perks and privileges he received while there.
However, after making eye contact with someone in the crowd, he remarked, “You’re not even a man.” He was subsequently taken inside the building by officers.
![Park Wang-yeol, a suspected drug kingpin who killed three Korean nationals in the Philippines, escaped prison and allegedly trafficked narcotics into Korea, is escorted through Incheon International Airport on March 25. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/26/8e9936e7-887b-435c-9f04-73a1dafba2b6.jpg)
Park Wang-yeol, a suspected drug kingpin who killed three Korean nationals in the Philippines, escaped prison and allegedly trafficked narcotics into Korea, is escorted through Incheon International Airport on March 25. [YONHAP]
Police, who obtained a warrant for his arrest, plan to question him before placing him in a detention cell at the Uijeongbu Police Precinct.
“As we have just taken him into custody today, we will first conduct questioning and plan to request a detention warrant tomorrow,” a representative for the police said.
Park fled to the Philippines after committing large-scale financial fraud in Korea. While there, he was convicted of killing three Korean nationals, and he escaped prison multiple times. He is currently accused of running a narcotics operation in Korea while in prison.
According to authorities, Park provided a hideout for three Koreans who had fled to the Philippines after committing a 15 billion won ($10 million) fraud in Korea in 2016. He shot and killed them in a sugarcane field in Bacolod on Oct. 11 that year and stole 720 million won in casino investment funds from the victims.
After two escape attempts, he was sentenced to 60 years in prison in the Philippines on charges including murder. Despite being incarcerated, he continued to live what authorities described as a “luxurious prison life” while allegedly operating a large-scale drug distribution network in Korea through Telegram.
Park is suspected of smuggling and distributing large quantities of drugs, including methamphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine and cannabis, into Korea. Authorities say he continued trafficking drugs even after his arrest in the Philippines, working with multiple accomplices such as dealers, smugglers and couriers in Korea.
Police said they will also intensively investigate the broader distribution network linked to Park.
Correction, March 26: An earlier version of this article misstated Park's crimes in the Philippines as alleged. He was found guilty on charges of murder and escaping prison.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEON ICK-JIN,JEONG JIN-HO,SUK GYEONG-MIN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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