Korean murder suspect arrested in Hanoi after fleeing Thailand

By Pham Du, Tue Anh September 25, 2024 | 12:56 am PT

Police of Hanoi's Dong Da District hand over Kim Hyeong Gwon to South Korean authorities. Photo courtesy of the People's Police newspaper

A South Korean national wanted for murder in Thailand was apprehended in Hanoi after fleeing through multiple countries.

Kim Hyeong Gwon, 39, was arrested by Dong Da District police on Sept. 12 under an international warrant for murder. He was extradited to South Korea on Monday.

Kim reportedly fled Thailand to Laos before illegally entering Da Nang via a land route, eventually traveling to Hanoi where he stayed in various hotels.

Kim is a suspect in the murder of Roh Eui Jong, 34, a fellow South Korean who went missing after arriving in Thailand on April 30, according to reports by The Nation and Korea Times. Roh's mother in South Korea later received a ransom demand of ฿3 million (US$92,011).

On May 11, Thai police discovered a body encased in cement inside a 200-liter barrel submerged in Map Prachan Reservoir. DNA testing confirmed the remains were Roh's.

Authorities arrested one suspect, Lee Roun, in South Korea's Jeongeup City on May 12. Another suspect, Lee Young Jin, fled Thailand to Cambodia but was apprehended on May 14 in a joint operation by South Korean and Cambodian police.