Prosecutors in South Korea are demanding the death penalty for two men accused of the chilling murder of a Korean tourist in Thailand, an act described as both premeditated and brutal. Court officials confirmed the request today, as grisly details of the crime emerged.
The suspects, 39 year old Kim Hyeong Gwon and a 27 year old surnamed Lee, face charges of murder during a robbery, desecration of a body, and attempted extortion. Prosecutors also called for a life sentence for a third accomplice, a 25 year old, also surnamed Lee. The verdicts will be delivered by the Changwon District Court on January 16, 2025.
The horrifying crime unfolded on May 3 in Pattaya, Thailand. The suspects reportedly met their victim, a 34 year old Korean, at a Bangkok nightclub. Prosecutors allege the men lured him to Pattaya in a rented car, where they killed him before attempting to erase his identity. They allegedly stuffed his body into a plastic barrel, filled it with cement, and dumped it in a reservoir.
The accused didn’t stop there. Using the victim’s phone, they withdrew 3.7 million Korean won (around 88,000 baht) and demanded an additional 100 million won from his family. Chillingly, they made the ransom call on May 7, days after the murder, threatening to kill the victim—who was already dead.
Thai police, in cooperation with Interpol, tracked the suspects across Cambodia, Myanmar, and South Korea. By September, all three were in custody. Investigations revealed they had met through a job advert for a voice phishing scam, reported The Korea Herald.
With the sentencing date approaching, the case has reignited debates on capital punishment and international crime syndicates, as police describe the crime as “calculated and heinous.”
In related news, Thailand’s Cabinet dismissed the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) proposal to abolish the death penalty.
This decision, announced by deputy government spokesperson Kharom Polpornklang, underscores the government’s alignment with the courts of justice, which deem capital punishment necessary for certain grave offences.
UPDATE: South Korean man wanted for Pattaya murder nabbed in Vietnam
A South Korean suspect of a brutal murder who had been on the run for months, has finally been captured in Vietnam after a dramatic chase across Southeast Asia.
The murder suspect, 39 year old Kim Hyeong Gwon, wanted for a gruesome killing in Pattaya, has been extradited to South Korea, where justice awaits.
Kim was arrested in Hanoi’s Dong Da district after a months-long manhunt that began in Pattaya. On May 3, Kim and two accomplices allegedly committed a savage murder, hiding the victim’s body in a plastic container before dumping it in a lake. His attempts to cover his tracks were fruitless, as the international community launched a manhunt for the fugitive.
Fleeing Thailand, Kim embarked on a daring escape route through Laos before sneaking into Vietnam via illegal land crossings. He slipped into Da Nang and eventually Hanoi, hopping between small hotels to avoid detection. His fugitive life came crashing down when local police in Hanoi grew suspicious of his behaviour. A thorough investigation revealed Kim’s true identity—an internationally wanted murderer.
In a swift operation, coordinated by the Ministry of Public Security’s Foreign Affairs Department, police swooped in and arrested Kim. He was fined 4 million Vietnamese dollars (around 5,300 baht) for illegally entering Vietnam, but his far more serious crime awaited resolution in South Korea.
Kim was officially handed over to South Korean police yesterday, September 23, where he now faces justice for the horrific crime committed in Pattaya, reported Vietnam Net Global.
ORIGINAL STORY: South Korean national murdered, encased in concrete in Pattaya
The perpetrators of a chilling murder in Chon Buri have been partially apprehended, with one suspect confessing to the killing of a fellow South Korean national. The 34 year old victim, Roh Eui-jong, met his demise after being strangled and entombed in concrete inside a barrel by the suspects during a journey to Pattaya.
South Korean authorities detailed the confession of the unnamed suspect, who was previously acquainted with Roh at an entertainment spot in the RCA district. The suspect admitted to spiking Roh’s drink with a sleeping pill and then overpowering him after he awoke and resisted in the car. After the murder, Roh’s body was concealed in a barrel and discarded in Map Prachan reservoir, Bang Lamung district, where it was discovered over the weekend.
Two arrests have been made in connection with the crime, one in Cambodia’s Phnom Penh on May 14 and another in South Korea’s Gyeongnam province on May 12. The third suspect, Kim Hyung-won, is believed to have escaped towards the Myanmar border.
The suspect claimed he befriended Roh at an entertainment venue in the RCA area.
Khlong Tan police, upon receiving the investigation report from South Korea, have taken custody of the vehicle used in the crime for forensic analysis. The results are anticipated shortly, reported Bangkok Post.
The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the three suspects on charges of murder, body concealment, illicit confinement, and theft.
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