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Korean drug trafficker detained in Philippines repatriated for investigation

Published: 25 Mar. 2026, 08:53

Park Wang-yeol, center, a convicted criminal accused of smuggling drugs into Korea, is escorted by police officials at Incheon International Airport on March 25. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

A Korean national detained in the Philippines was temporarily repatriated to Korea on Wednesday to face an investigation into alleged cross-border drug trafficking, the Blue House said.

The convicted criminal, Park Wang-yeol, has been serving a 60-year prison sentence in the Philippines since 2022 for killing three Koreans in 2016. He is also suspected of smuggling drugs into Korea through accomplices via social media platforms and is known as a "drug kingpin" operating under the Telegram alias "Worldwide."

Park arrived at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, Gyeonggi, aboard an Asiana Airlines passenger flight at 6:34 a.m.

Upon his arrival, law enforcement authorities immediately took Park into custody. He was seen handcuffed and surrounded by dozens of police and Ministry of Justice officials as he left the airport to be transferred to the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency. Authorities intend to launch a full-scale investigation into his drug trafficking allegations, according to a cross-border crime response task force.

Park Wang-yeol, center, a convicted criminal accused of smuggling drugs into Korea, is escorted by police officials at Incheon International Airport on March 25. [YONHAP]

The repatriation comes about three weeks after President Lee Jae Myung requested Manila's cooperation during summit talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., following more than nine years of efforts by Seoul to secure his return.

"Park's repatriation demonstrates the government's firm commitment to ensuring that criminals hiding overseas are held accountable by all means," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.

Park was brought to Korea under the extradition treaty between the two countries, which allows for temporary repatriation for criminal proceedings by suspending a trial or the execution of a sentence in the Philippines.

"The government will thoroughly uncover all criminal activities committed by Park and ensure he is strictly punished by tracking down his accomplices and illicit proceeds to the end," Kang said.

The government will step up efforts to combat transnational crimes and strengthen international coordination in pursuing fugitives abroad, the spokesperson added.

Yonhap